CRESS AND IMPROVEMENT" 
MOORE'S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
A NATIONAL ILLUSTRATED 
BUBAL, LiTBBABf AM BAMILV M5WSPAPWL 
3>. D. T. 3WEOOB.E, 
ITounder and Conduoting Jidjtor. 
WM. J. FOWLER, ANDREW S. FULLER 
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SATURDAY, SEPT. 11, 1875. 
NOTES FK0M NANTUCKET. 
NANTUCKET, Mass., Ang., 1875. 
The Island of Nantucket la one of the long- 
chartered Institutions of New England, of 
which wo have heard and read from our youth¬ 
ful days—which days are so distant that we 
will remain reticent as to theexact period. We 
had read of Nantucket as the headquarters of 
the Whttte Fishery, from w hich source great 
wealth had been acquired and then as a di¬ 
lapidated, mined town—gone to decay, or, in 
vulgar parlance, “played-out,'" In consequence 
of the discovery of Petroleum (which ruined 
many, and made a few rich and crazy, years 
agone,) and other drawbacks to the once pros¬ 
perous and most profitable oleaginous com¬ 
merce. Recently, however, accounts of Nan¬ 
tucket bee lining a watering place—a summer 
resort for city and other weary folk—have been 
rife, and hence during our recent sojourn at 
Martha’s Vineyard (about which some notes 
were given in last week’s RURAL) we resolved 
to visit tho ancient town and du a little inter¬ 
viewing of both place and people. The result 
thereof la hereinafter chronicled. 
The steamer “ Island Home,” plies dally be¬ 
tween Woods Hole and Nantucket, touching at 
Oak Bluffs, and as It touohed at the latter 
place -we one morning— protected by our better 
half and a nine-year old junior—took passage 
for the ancient and famous “ whaling " island. 
The sea, or sound, was rough and the Junior 
was soon neeeeasarUy placed in a longitudinal 
position to save his breakfast. After a sail or 
steam, of some two hours and a half—we ar¬ 
rived at Nantucket Wbarf-as truthfully Illus¬ 
trated on next page, only that the steamer got 
nearer the wharf than the artist has repre¬ 
sented. 
Safely landed we “went for” the sights and 
curiosities, our better half who had been 
posted by former visitors, and possessed withal 
devotional proclivities—naming the Church 
Tower as the first point of interest, whence we 
had an excellent view of the Oleaginous 
Metropolis, as represented at the head of next 
page. The scene, view or panorama, was a fine 
one indeed, and In our elevated position we 
naturally received a high idea of the place and 
its surroundings. But we will not attempt a 
description from such a standpoint, but descend 
to terra flrma and discourse upon more mundane 
matters. 
Nantucket—to resume properly—Is thirty 
miles from Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, and 
about twenty-five miles from Hyannls, Mass., 
on the main land. It. is an old town, and was 
for many years very prosperous and wealthy, 
until the decay and final ruin of the whale fish¬ 
ery, which rendered It dormant, dilapidated, 
and to a great extent depopulated. For some 
years past, however, the place has annually In¬ 
creased in population as a seaside resort, and t 
now presents a handsome appearance, Its im- r 
proved streets, and repaired and re-painted f 
public buildings and private residences, denot- s 
ing the revival of prosperity. The Island of l 
Nantucket was first settled In 1659, and has a i 
blstoiy worth relating, but for which we have ^ 
not space. Boon after its settlement, says a f 
local historian, “ a considerable number of cat¬ 
tle and sheep were acq ulred, which fed at large i 
on the Island, roaming at will, except In the | 
month of June, when the sheep were driven in¬ 
to IncloBurcs, marked, and sheared of their 
fleecy coats, and then turned out to pasture as 
before. This method of caring for the stock 
wa-s kept up for nearly two huudred years, only 
ceasing lu 1848, w hen, by a vote of the proprie¬ 
tors of the common and undivided land. It was 
decided to restrain all from pasturage outside 
the tnclosed tracts.” The same writer speaks 
of the comparatively recent time when ten 
thousand sheep dotted the common and undi¬ 
vided land outside but near the streets of 
Nantucket. 
The principal prosperity and wealth of Nan¬ 
tucket., however, were derived from whale fish¬ 
ing. This was commenced In 1666,when a a crag 
whole was seen sporting In the harbor, and tbf 
people resolved to Secure It If possible,In which 
they succeeded. After relating this adventure 
the historian naively adds that the people little 
thought that they were making the beginning 
of a business that was to found the wealth of 
the island and secure for it recognition of Its 
importance throughout the globe. But a few 
years later, however, their principal business 
was fitting out ships and sailing them to all 
parts of the world to seek for the oleaginous 
gains that gave Nantucket tho name of “Tho 
Horne of the Whale Fishers,” 
Nantucket village contains many ancient 
buildings. Our second “ call " (after that to 
the Church Tower aforementioned) was to the 
oldest dwelling house, which was built in 1086. 
It is a story and a half frame building, shingled 
all over, as was the ancient custom in New En¬ 
gland. It contains many relics of the olden 
limes, some of them two hundred years old. 
Among them were old style clothing of men, 
women and chi.dren on wax figures; chairs, 
guns, powder-horns, etc.: the old-fashioned 
spinning wheel, reel and many other antiquities 
and curiosities. A Panama hat ISO years old, 
with a brim as is a brim for broadness, would 
prove a better sunshade than many a parasol 
that appears on Broadway. 
The Alhemeum Museum, which we next | 
visited, contains many curiosities, — mainly 
tusks and jaws of whales and other fish, shells 
and specimens of clothing, ornithology, etc., 
from distant lands. The Museum contains 
probably tho largest and most perfect sperm 
whale Jaw in the world. It was taken from a 
sperm whale captured by rapt. Wilt,1A m ( ash, 
in It.he bark Islander, off the coast of Chili. 
The whale was 87 feet long and yielded 110 bar¬ 
rels of oil. The Jaw is perfect and 17 feet in 
lengt h, weighs eight hundred pounds, and has 
16 teeth, all sound and perfect. 
But we must, stop lest the reader be wearied, 
albeit Nantucketers may inhabit every section 
of our parish, whloh extends over the States 
of the Union, Canada, etc. And yet there are 
many things we would like to say afc-ut the 
island. For Instance, In the language of a guide 
1 book, wo might say, “ it is a tufted sandbank, 
fifteen miles long: on it is the quaintest and 
most, old-fashioned town in the Common¬ 
wealth. Nantucket Is now coming to the front, 
as a watering place. Its fine air, the facilities 
i for the rugged sports of the seaside which it 
offers, its bracing and genial air, the many at- 
i tractions that surround it, the absence of fogs. 
I etc., all commend Nantucket to parties in 
search of out-door excitement and healthy re- 
; creation.” 
Said an old eillzeu to us, “ Nantucket was at 
. Its zenith In 1842, but then began its decay. The 
great fire of 1846, which burned all the business 
- part of the town—destroying $2,000,000 worth of 
, property, and rendering It necessary to get pro- 
, visions from Boston the next day—was a great 
drawback, and caused many to leave the Island. 
, Then when the California gold fever broke out, 
j six hundred men left Nantucket in one year, 
r 1849.” 
Since the decline of the whale fishery, many 
. Nantucket Islauders have engaged extensively 
t In dredging for sea clams, which are used for 
. bait by tho Gloucester and Piovincetown bank 
fishermen. From this source alone they derive 
1 from $26,000 to $40,000 a year, 
i On the whole Nantucket Is a good town to 
1 visit, not only for its historical associations, hut 
i because it is again alive and prosperous. We 
3 Intended to tell about its purchase and early 
s settlement, and various things connected with 
t its history, but must close this screed abruptly 
e —not even dilating upon the blue fishing and 
3 other piscatorial sports of citizens and visitors. 
RTJEAL NOTES AND QUERIES. 
National Ag’l *'on*re»».—It is announced 
that the Fourth Session of the National Agri¬ 
cultural Congress will be held at Cincinnati on 
Hept. 22. 23 aud 21. The Congress is in no sense 
a sect ional or partisan organization. Its object 
is the discussion of questions in which the Ag¬ 
ricultural class In all sections of the country 
are interested—discussing them with a view to 
securing the best permanent prosperity of the 
Agricultural interest, in nil Its phases, and hence 
the prosperity of the nation. The session will 
he malnly«devoted to addresaee and discussions 
on Political Economy in Its special relation to 
Agriculture—the Production ami Distribution 
of Agricultural Products; Education, Organ¬ 
ization, Co-operation and Legislation for. by, 
or concerning Farmers and Agriculture; Trans¬ 
portation, Fioance and Taxation as affecting 
Agricultural prosperity. Representative men 
are expected from all parts of the Union, as 
delegates from Agricultural and Horticultural 
Societies, Granges, Farmers’ Clubs, A-c., and 
will undoubtedly participate. As the meet¬ 
ing will be held w hile the Cincinnati Industrial 
Exposition Is In progress, all in attendance at 
the Congress will have an opportunity to visit 
that extensive and interesting exhibition. 
-♦»» - 
I’lsclcu Iturr in Mlchlgnn. Jt seems that Mr 
N. W. Clark of Northvllle, Mich., has a patent¬ 
ed system for the hatching and brooding of fish. 
A large company of the member* of the Amcr- 
can Association for the Promotion of Science, 
during their recent meeting In Detroit, visited 
Northvllle and examined the arrangement of 
Mr. Clark’s establishment, aud the editor of 
the Mich. Farmer, who was of the party, says : 
“Here a number of springs buret out of the 
bank and furnish an ample supply of very fine 
water, which is first conducted through the fish 
breeding house and la then used to form small 
ponds on the flat. The ponds contained large 
numbers of the young fish that had been hatch¬ 
ed out during the past spring: among them 
were brook trout and the young salmon of Cal¬ 
ifornia and a number or the grayling which had 
been sent to Mr. Clark from the western part 
of the State. The range of ponds was connected 
by sluice Mays with wire screens. Tho fish 
hatching house is unquestionably constructed 
on principles that are adapted to the most suc¬ 
cessful breeding of the fish, and so far It bus 
been found perfectly in accord with the condi¬ 
tions to which the eggs and young fish are sub¬ 
ject In their natural homes." 
— If Mr. Clark has any system ahead of Sktii 
Gkfen’p, we hope to hear more of It, and call 
upon brother Johnstone, from whom we quote 
the above, for further and more definite infor¬ 
mation as to the “ patent." 
D. D. T. M. 
-- 
“ What Proportion of farmers in New York 
State get in their hay the same day it is cut 
So asks one of our correspondents. It is a ran¬ 
dom guess, but the proportion Is very small,— 
not more than one-tenth,—and should be less 
thaa it Is. Very little hay Is fit for the mow the 
day it is cut, aud clover especially is better if 
cured several days in the cock and secured 
-rom injury by hay caps. 
Removal or the New York Post-Office. — Do 
RURAL readers know that, they are nearer their 
paper than they were two weeks ago ? Which 
means that, the New York Post-Office has been 
removed from the quaint old Dutch church on 
Cedar aud Nassau streets It has occupied so 
m.iDy years to the magnificent (and costly) 
building erected for It In the Park just below 
the City Hall building. In the new location of 
the Post,-Office the Rural is only about half as 
far from the malls as it has been heretofore, 
which will be a great convenience in mailing 
the Rural and ill receiving letters from sub¬ 
scribers and contributors, both of which can be 
done with hair as long a journey as hefore. Our 
friends may live hundreds—aye., thousands—of 
miles distant, hut this removal of the Post- 
Office to the new and more commodious build¬ 
ing brings them sensibly nearer to us, and we 
trust they will duly appreciate the fact. The 
new bulldirg is In appearance and facilities for 
business a decided credit, to the city. It. is Bur- 
rounded by the leading daily and weekly 
papers, which furnish so large a proportion of 
the city mail matter; and beiug at the lower 
corner of the open Park, is easy of access on all 
sides. The convenience of easy access which 
the new Post-Office furnishes will make no in¬ 
considerable saving to men and journals furn¬ 
ishing the heaviest mails. The increased room 
and facilities lor quick dispatch of business 
will enable letters to be assorted more rapidly 
either for sending away or for being distributed 
here. 
■ -- 
Drrer’* Improved Lima Bean*.—We have re¬ 
ceived from Henry A. Dreer samples of Im¬ 
proved Lima Beans, originated by him a year 
or two Hince. This bean Is claimed as an im¬ 
provement in size, eailtness and productiveness. 
The pods are well filled and there seerns to be 
some improvement in size, though hardly 
enough alone to establish it as a distinct va¬ 
riety. It is, however, without doubt, worthy of 
trlai. All good gardeners select their best seeds 
for planting, and with this bean this process 
has been repeated for thirty years until the 
present degree of excellence la reached. 
The Germantown Telegraph, whose editor 
generally proves that his head is level, objects 
to catling the planting of 3,600 pear trees in 
Louisiana “ establishing a new industry," The 
point is that there have probably always been 
scattered trees around old planters' places 
which have borne their crops for half a century. 
Granted; but can the bearlug of a crop by an 
uncared-for pear tree be called an “ industry," 
aud If not, Is not the planting and oaring for a 
large number properly considered the establish¬ 
ment of a new one? 
Singular Variation in the Weather.— In Liv 
lngston Co., N. Y.. during the first three weeks’ 
of August, farmers were troubled by almost 
dally rains, so severe that grain cut and in 
shook was UDflt to draw to barn. A few miles 
further north In Monroe Co. the rains were less 
frequent and very light, so that no injury has 
resulted. In some towns there is absolute lack 
of water from the absence of heavy rains this 
summer. Farther up the Geneses valley the 
wet weather came earlier, as the Genesee was 
quite high in the latter part of July from heavy 
rains near its source. 
On the high land through the south of Avon 
there has been for several years a singular ab¬ 
sence of snow. The fields have been bare ana 
sleighs of little use. while a few miles north the 
ground has been well covered with snow. As 
a rule, snow in winter la more abundant near 
the shores of Lake Ontario than further inland; 
but the high ridge of land In Avon overlooking 
the Genesee flats seems to be exceptionally de¬ 
ficient in w inter covering, as compared with 
localities either north or south of it. 
--- 
Mummy Corn. — “ Some twenty-three years 
ago Dr. Aubott of Egyptian antiquity fame pre¬ 
sented my father, the late Dr. John W. Fran¬ 
cis. with some grains of corn which he had 
himself taken out of a mummy. They were 
planted In our garden in Bond Htreet, and well 
do I remember the anxiety exhibited about the 
growth of this grain, which had been concealed 
for 3,000 years. Indue course of time an ear 
appeared and ripened on the stalk. It resem¬ 
bled in many respects the Virginian corn of the 
present day. This proves that corn existed in 
F.gypt before the discovery of America.” After 
quoting the above, which is from a queer pam¬ 
phlet, lately published In this (N. Y.) city, enti¬ 
tled “Curious Facts Concerning Man and Na¬ 
ture." the London Garden says“ When tbo 
author has been in Egypt and sees bow ingen¬ 
ious and active the people are in preparing 
‘mummy grain’and other articles, for which 
both Maize and Doura are conveniently at hand, 
he may be less confident about the existence of 
Maize In Ancient Egypt and the germination of 
any sort of grain 3,000 year* old.’’ 
- m ■ — • 
Cotton In Turkey.—The cultivation of cotton 
In Turkey, which was developed to so high a 
degree between 1810 and 1830, la constantly de¬ 
caying. The bad Iawa, the want of good roads 
' in order to facilitate the transportation of cot¬ 
ton to the seaports, will soon constrain the 
Turkish cultivators to yield the cotton cultiva¬ 
tion to the Egyptians and to America, 
i -- >m-- 
1 Western New York Fair.— We have received 
3 the Premium List of the W. N. Y. Fair, to be 
' held at Rochester Sept. 20 to 25t.b, inclusive. 
There will be an auction sale on Friday, Sept. 
24. A!1 ’inquiries should be addressed to the 
J Secretary, W. L. Wallace, at No. 45 Reynolds’ 
r Arcade, Rochester, N. Y. 
A Prosperous State.— The debt of Vermont 
lias been reduced to $167,500, which Is not yet 
due, while the cash in the treasury amounts to 
nearly that sum and the sinking fund to $167,- 
982 more. 
Decrease of Pensioners.— The number of pen¬ 
sioners now on the rolls is 223,054—a decrease of 
4,871 since last year. The amount paid this year 
is $1,250,000 less than last. 
RURAL BREVITIES. 
C. H. Hatton, Purchasing Agent for Virginia 
P. of H., has gone to his former home in the Old 
Dominion on a brief visit. 
The farmers at Ticonderoga, N. Y., have con¬ 
verted their church Into a cheese factory and 
their race-course into acow pasture. 
A plkasant little place of residence on Long 
Island is advertised for sale In another column 
by T. O. Hague of 96 Grand street, in this city. 
An Atlanta, Ga., negro ha3 succeeded iu do¬ 
mesticating patridges, anu now has about sixty 
young birds, hatched out in the spring all do¬ 
ing well. Toey are tame, healthy and seem 
contented. 
The Patrons of Husbandry of New Jersey 
and Penn, have made arrangements with coal 
and transportation companies of Pennsylvania 
by which they will save $2 per ton in the pur¬ 
chase of coal. 
A horsb in Jackson, Mich., is fifty-one years 
old. He was Toaled In Clareuoe, Erie county, 
in 1824, and his name Is Romp. He hasn't a 
single puff nr windgall on bis legs, and does a 
good day’s work every day. 
Mr. Wm. D. Stewart of Chatham Village, N. 
Y., has just sold to G. H. Contkat of the Mt. 
Lebanon Shakers, a thorough-bred Short-Horn 
bull weighing 1,860 lbs.—thought by good judges 
to be the heat bull In the State. 
Near Viroqua, Wis„ three children, hunting 
eggs. In the ue*t* in a barn, found one where 
the hen hit them. Each tried to get at the eggs, 
and all were bitten. It turned out that a 
rattlesnake was In possession, and iu half an 
hour t he three children, all ot a family, were 
dead. 
Northern farmers are frequently Inquiring 
where desirable Southern lands can be obtain¬ 
ed. The attention of all such is invited to the 
advertisement, on page 168, of 1400 acres of far¬ 
ming land In Culpepper Co., Va., which seems 
to offer an excellent opportunity to buy im¬ 
proved lands in a good location, 
BUSINESS NOTICES. 
THE fact that Cragln & Co-, Philadelphia, Pa. 
(Dobbins’ Electric Soap), confidently base their 
olaims on the merits of the soap, and only ask a 
trial,'speaks volumes. We know that the soap tells 
a pood story. Try it. 
