RAL NEW-YORKER. 
“DOES FARMING PAY]” 
The article of Conrad Wilson’s in your last 
issue, treats of a question of growing interest 
to an increasing number of the community gen¬ 
erally, especially to two classes in our large 
cities. The last, four years have made trade a 
very precarious source of income to men of 
small capital; and tho very general depression 
or manufacturing interests has thrown thou¬ 
sands of mechanics out of employment, leaving 
them with the terrible problem to solve “ How 
are we to obtain food and clothing for our fam¬ 
ilies?"—As Conrad Wilson very’ truly says, 
many turn to agriculture as the most hopeful 
answer to tho query. To the majority, however, 
city-horn and bred, accustomed only to tho ways 
of city life, it is a solution sodiflieidt of applica¬ 
tion that they fear to attempt it. The question 
is frequently asked, “ Why do so many starve in 
the cities, when they can at least earn a good 
living for themselves and families in the great 
field of tho West ? " The answer is this:—'* Men 
fear to stake what little they may have on an 
undertaking, of tho practical parts of which 
they have uo sound knowledge, while many 
moro who would bo barely able to raise enough 
money to carry their families to these lands of 
promise, fear still more to make the venture, 
preferring to bear tho ills they have, rather than 
tempt others thuy know nothing about.” 
May I suggest that as more articles ou this 
subject are promised, wo who are anxiously 
looking for a way to escape from tho embarass- 
meut, which the present stagnation of trado has 
olosed about us, may have plain and precise in¬ 
formation given us as to just how a man with 
small means and a family, living in one of our 
eastern cities, oau commence this new life with 
a fair prospect of success. Where are tho best 
points, ami what will it cost to reach them ? 
How much land iB needed, and tho cost ? At 
what time in tho year is it advisable to move and 
how commence operations ? What tools are ab¬ 
solutely necessary ? What are men to do who 
have no capital ? 
If snob Information, and practical hints of 
like nature were given, it would be of great ad¬ 
vantage to many to whom this matter is really 
becoming an irrepressible question. Iota. 
Kings Co. N. Y. 
— ■ ■ 
RENOVATING EXHAUSTED LANDS. 
What is the best and most economical mode 
of renovating onr partially exhausted soils, 
was a question referred to me at the last meet¬ 
ing of tho Pennsylvania Farmers' club. 
Years ago, when soils became much exhausted, 
as nearly all the farms in Westchester and South 
Lancaster counties, Pa. did, fifty years ago, many 
farmers rapidly improvod their lands by liming 
as well as by sowiug clover and plowing it down. 
This practice was ooiitinued, and all the manure 
that could be conveniently made, was also ap¬ 
plied until Guano was discovered, when farmers 
bought it and applied it to their wheat crops. 
Although this increased the product, still some 
had an idea that it did not improve their soils 
satisfactorily. As Guano became scarcer and 
dearer, the use of manufactured fertilizers sup¬ 
plemented it. Many farmers bought and applied 
these, and thu practice of plowing in green crops 
nearly ceased. This, I think was bad policy; 
for it appears to mo that despite all the money 
expended in the purchase and application of 
these manufactured fertilizers, the productive¬ 
ness of our farms has not increased as fast as 
under the green-crop system. In my own ex¬ 
perience, I have been more successful in increas¬ 
ing crops by plowing down clover, even after the 
first crop had been taken off, than by tho appli¬ 
cation of phosphates or ground bone, and surely 
it costs less! 
Sometimes I am almost ready to think that 
this whole artificial fertilizing business has been 
an unfortunate thing for tho farming interests, 
since wo see, by tho reports of the two last cen¬ 
sus, that on our lands in Eastern Pennsylvania, 
where tens of thousands of dollars have been 
expended in these so-called fertilizers, not 
only does tho production of grain decrease, but 
live stock also, and the decrease is quite con¬ 
siderable in both. Now, there are several eco¬ 
nomical modes of increasing fertility. Among 
these may be mentioned the plowing down of 
clover after a growth of two years, when tho 
roots become large ; the buying and feediug of 
largo quantities of bran, which increase the 
capacity for keeping livestock, particularly sheep 
and swine, the hauling into their yards and pens 
of all kinds of substances suitable for manure; 
eueh as muck, soil, loaves, weeds, grass, 
straw, fodder, potato tops, and in fact, all kinds 
of vegetable growth about the farm. This, 
however, should be done before pernicious seeds 
are ripe. It would bo still better to adopt the 
soiling system, for there are two very important 
advantages in it: first, a great increase in the 
quantity and quulity of the manure, and second, 
because it enables one to keep about twice 
as much Btock on the same amount of land. In 
this there will bo found a profit greater than all 
tho additional outlay for labor, &o. A Mr. 
Stewart, of Mass., says, “I have practiced 
soiling for three years and find it a benefit, both 
to land and animals. 
In my experience l find that one acre cut, is 
equal to four acres in pasturage. The manure 
that is saved by this system more than pays all 
the expenses attendant upon it. Moreover the 
saving of fences thus secured, would, lu many 
localities, also repay all tho cost. 
The increase in the value of the animals kept, 
is about three-fold ; and by this system I make 
$500, a year more than by the old method of 
pasturage. The best fodder for the purpose of 
soiling is grass, oats, corn and ryo, out green. 
It has been demonstrated that one aero of land, 
in a good state of cultivation, will afford suffi¬ 
cient food for three cows throughout, the season.'' 
One member of the above association at least, 
is now practicing tho soiling plan. He removed 
all the inside fences ou his farm, except those 
about his yard and pons, and keeps fifty head of 
cattle where only twenty were formerly kept; 
and aftor a trial of three or four years, he is 
highly pleased with the change. 
Now, I must say that this quostion of tho dete¬ 
rioration of the soil, is of great importance, and 
the attention of agriculturists should ho forcibly 
directed to the subject. There is no doubt but 
that a more efficient, prudent, skillful and scien¬ 
tific mode of cultivating und renovating the land, 
is absolutely indispensable to the future pros¬ 
perity of our calling, as well as to that of tho 
wholo country. 
I would here recommend our farmers to try 
irrigation wherever economically possible, as 
many farms might be partially irrigated with but 
littlo expense. A considerable increase might 
thus be made in tho grass crop, which uow— in 
Eastern Pennsylvania at any rate—is the most 
important crop, and the one best calculated to 
keep up the fertility of the soil. I once lived on 
a farm which had nearly two miles of ditc hing 
for irrigating purposes. Not only was the land 
along its course watered from it, but tho stream 
was conducted in a long and high trough across 
a larger one and its lowlands, in order to irrigate 
the higher grounds beyond. Tho work, it is 
true, entailed considerable expense, but a sensi¬ 
ble man, like the owner, would never have in¬ 
curred this without having previously satisfied 
himself by good evidence, of the remunerative 
benefits of irrigation. 
The same system was formerly successfully 
practiced all over Eastern Pennsylvania and in 
several other States. I am not yet so clear of what 
somcoall “ old-fogyism,” hut that I would recom¬ 
mend experiments to bo made In that, direction. 
Now, in our day tho facilities for getting water 
up in high lands, are much greater than they 
were a hundred years ago. We now have the 
steam-engine, improved wind-mill pumps and 
hydraulic rams, as well as a clearer knowledge 
Of the use Of the siphon; and cisterns might be 
constructed to facilitate tho process of irrigation, 
so that much land that could not, under the old 
system, bo irrigated, might be now. 
Borne of our western plains, otherwise entirely 
barren, are rendered profitably productive by 
artificial irrigation. In mowing my yard this 
summer, I found where tho water had spread 
from tho pipe conducting it from the house roof, 
three times as much grass as on the same area 
elsowhoro. Even in ordinary seasons, I think we 
might double our hay crop by irrigation, aud 
often our grain crops too. I also favor the use 
of gypsum, as a cheap fertilizer, particularly on 
clover. T. Wood. 
Industrial topics, 
THE CENTENNIAL AWARDS. 
_ 
Tub Hartford Couraut, of which Gen. nawley 
is editor and proprietor, in its weekly issue of 
July 12, indirectly notices the communication of 
“Justitia," (printed aud commented on in our 
paper of July 7,) in reference to tho delay in the 
delivery of diplomas and medals awarded at the 
Philadelphia Exhibition. Tho remarks of the 
late President of the Centennial Commission on 
the subject, are appended to a summary of the 
matter contained in the Bubal, taken from tho 
Springfield Republican, and may bo regarded as 
authoritative. They are as follows : 
“ The Rural New' Yorker aud its correspond¬ 
ent seem to belong to that large but, unhappy 
claim of people who are perpetually ready to 
jump at au excuse for insinuating discreditable 
conduct against anybody and everybody. If 
that correspondent had expended his three cents 
postage upon a letter to Mr. Goshora, 903 Wal¬ 
nut Street, Philadelphia, his anxieties would 
have been calmed. There were, in round num¬ 
bers, 13,500 diplomas to be distributed. They 
are beautiful steel-plato engravings. It took 
some time to print them. It was decided to 
print, not write, the exhibitor’s name, articles, 
i award, etc., in the proper space in each oaBe, in 
order to make finer and moro uniform work of 
it. That necessitates setting typo in each case, 
and takes a littlo more time. There was unex¬ 
pected delay with the medals. Through no 
fault in the judgement, of tho executive commit¬ 
tee it was found, last October or November, to 
be necesRarv to cut new dies. Tho medals and 
diplomas are very nearly all done. Foreign 
nations were supplied first. American exhibit¬ 
ors receive theirs in due order. 
The complaint in question is about a matter 
with which tho office at Philadelphia has nothing 
whatever to do. General C. B. Norton adver¬ 
tises that if an exhibitor will send him $5 anil 
an order for his diploma, General Norton will 
get the diploma aud scud it nicely framed. Gen¬ 
eral Norton probably makes a trifle in each case 
entrusted to him, but, though employed for 
several years and up to the closo of tho exhibi¬ 
tion, he has had uo connection whatever with it 
sinco last Ncvombor, aud this is wholly his own 
private speculation. Each exhibitor’s diploma, 
if not called for by himself, or some oue bearing 
his order, is sent to him tho moment liis name 
is reached ou the list. The work will soon ho 
done.” 
It will be observed by onr readers that Gen¬ 
eral Hawley has nothing in this matter to de¬ 
nounce, except the conduct of the Rural New 
Yorker and its correspondent in calling atten¬ 
tion to proceedings on the part of one of his 
late associates, which we cannot regard as at all 
proper, to say tho least. What are the facts ? 
Norton, as is stated by General Hawley, was em¬ 
ployed by the Commission for several years and 
up to the closo of tho exhibition. Some time 
during that period, ho conceived the idea of a 
little “ private speculation." This was to con¬ 
stitute himself an entirely superfluous middle¬ 
man, and induce tho ptiBsago of as many as pos¬ 
sible of the 13,500 awards through his hands, 
for which unnecessary work, he proposal to 
have himself roundly paid. Ho alone engaged 
in it, probably bccanse his position enabled him 
alone to acquire all the data necessary to make 
the scheme a bucccss. At the right time lie 
issued circulars couched in language well calcu¬ 
lated to load ignorant persons to believe that 
through him alone would they ho sure to secure 
their awards promptly and safely. Does any 
one wlio has the slightest knowledge of the way 
in which those things are managed, doubt that 
his friends and associates in the regular offices of 
the Commission, would do all in their power to 
assist him, by throwing impediments in tho way 
of delivery without cost through the proper 
channels, especially as Norton was endorsed by 
throe of tho most conspicuous officers of the Ex¬ 
hibition ? Those considerations seem fairly do- 
duoiblo from the facts as given by General Haw¬ 
ley himself aud the circulars of Norton, and 
therefore, the fling with which the extract wo 
give above begins, lacks decidedly the force it 
was intended to have. The subject is provoca¬ 
tive of some general reflections which will sug¬ 
gest themselves to every impartial mind. 
-*-*-♦—-- 
BRIEFLET3. 
Coen and Indian Corn among us mean tho 
same cereal; while in Great Britaiu the former 
term is applied to all kinds of grain that grow in 
ears, not pods. 
Tub Destruction of Weeds should ho con¬ 
stantly attended to, for, like insect pests, they 
multiply enormously. A weed plucked be¬ 
fore it goes to seed will prevent tho growth of 
hundreds the following year, for hero tho old 
adage is uncommonly true, that “oue year’H 
seeding causes fifteen years’ weeding.” 
Changing the Bicarinq Year of Apple Trees, 
in certain cases, iB highly beneficial and profit¬ 
able. The Rural Home refers to experiments in 
this direction, made by Prof. Deal. The North¬ 
ern Spy was the variety experimented upon. 
Last year, which was tho bearing year, seme of 
the trees were severely thinned. This year they 
have a fair average crop of fruit, while the trees 
of the same variety which had not been thinned, 
are standing close to them, without fruit. 
Diversity in Farming lias so many advantages 
that it should find favor in the practice of every 
sensible agriculturist. It puts on the homo table 
a great variety, and prevents the necessity of 
many purchases ; distributes both the labor and 
cash receipts pretty evenly throughout tho year ; 
prevents overstocking in any single department 
and so tends to keep up pi ices ; is favorable to 
the rotation of cropH, the advantages of which all 
appreciate; and finally, is an insurance against 
heavy loss by distributing among many products 
the risks of failure of one. 
Putting Plants to Sleep, by the application 
of anaesthetics, has been lately accomplished by 
the Parisian Biological Society. Indeed, the ex¬ 
periments of this body go to prove that every¬ 
thing endowed with life—animal, plant or fer¬ 
ment—may be sent to sleep by this means. For 
instance, the germination of water-cress, which 
occupies thirty hours, can be arrested, without 
being destroyed, by the use of ether, and the 
germination recommences so soon as the a ppli¬ 
cation of the ether is discontinued. Tho fer¬ 
ment of beer, also, when submitted for twenty- 
four hours to a like treatment, becomes com¬ 
pletely dormant, hut regains activity on tho ces¬ 
sation of anaisthotieal action. 
Tiie Bolting and Sifting of Flour, it has 
long been known, deprives the consnmer of 
many of its life-sustaining elements, and, as 
a writer in the agricultural department of the 
Weekly Tribune remarks, it is only because the 
eyes of the masses am gratified at, tho exponse 
of their digestion and health, that the practice is 
still persisted in, despite the teachings of sci¬ 
entists anil physicians. The flour from good 
grain can only ho improved by freeing it from 
all foreign substances, and oleaniug perfectly tho 
exterior of tho wheat, and the only whiteness 
that should be required is that produced by age. 
It has just come to tue notice of the Su¬ 
perintendent of Police of this city that the rural 
districts throughout tho country are being flood¬ 
ed with circulars from a bogus concern here, 
styling itself the North bridge Mutual Purchas¬ 
ing Agency, which claims to make among its 
dupes an impartial division of prizes won by the 
mutual system of purchasing lottery tickets. 
This polysyllabic linu is a fraud of which Rural 
readers should bowaro. If they want to get rid 
of their greenbacks, let them light a pipe or a 
candle with them, and so escape the anxiety and 
demoralization inseparable from Investments 
even in legitimate lottery schemes. 
The Grumbling of Farmers is often spoken 
of in Europe, and here occasionally. In En¬ 
gland, indeed, they claim an immemorial right to 
growl, and one of them has thus used it amus¬ 
ingly in a late number of tbe Mark Lane Ex¬ 
press ; 
“No rain of any consequenoo had fallen for 
nearly a month, and everything was almost 
patched up from the prolonged drought; so I 
out a pieco of clover for hay and it rained fast 
enough than!” 
Row much happier are American farmers, who 
are nearly always philosophically content with 
the weather and tho times I ! 
The use of water-cress, as an article of diet, 
is extremely ancient, and very extensive now in 
most European countries. Of It, $1800 worth a 
day is used in Paris alone, and in Loudon it is 
estimated that from twelve to fifteen hundred 
people gain a livelihood by selling it in the 
streets. It has powerful anti-scorbutic proper¬ 
ties, is an excellent Ingredient in a salad, and 
forms an appetizing relish either raw or as an 
adjunct to various cooked dishes. From tho 
middle of the sixteenth century, it has been cul¬ 
tivated artificially at Erfurt, Germany, whence 
Berlin aud many towns along the Rhine draw 
their supplies of it. Hero it might be advan¬ 
tageously naturalized in every brook according 
to tho method described in a late issue of tho 
Rural, and cultivated aB a wholesome and appe¬ 
tizing addition to the far too limited number of 
our salad plants. 
The Influence of Sheep on Timber Growth 
is found, in Australia, to bo highly beneficial. 
Mr. LANnsuoRouon, a celebrated explorer of 
that continental island, traces the increasing 
density ot forests in Queensland, and the conse¬ 
quent greater humidity of tho atmosphere there, 
to the early iidroduolion of sheep farms. Tho 
animals kept down the grass, and when the dry 
soasou came on, there was less and loss chance 
of the devastating conflagrations called bush- 
tires. Now rain is becoming abundant, render¬ 
ing agriculture profitable, and causing the dis¬ 
continuance, hi a measure, of the less lucrative 
pursuit of sheep pasturage, In that colony. 
Hints thus given of the probable causes of a 
transition in industrial economy elsewhere, from 
a pastoral to an agricultural life, are highly sug¬ 
gestive of similar possibilities in many of the 
parched and treeless regions of our own country. 
The value of the hay crop in this country, 
is clearly shown by governmental statistics, in 
1875 it was third in the list of farm products in 
respect to increase, and second as regards the 
value of the crop. Under Indian corn there were 
forty-four million acres, twenty-six millions in 
wheat, and twenty-three millions in grass for hay. 
These crops alone aggregated ninety-three mil¬ 
lion acres out of oue hundred and twenty-three 
millions under cultivation, of which reports were 
published. The value or tbe products for the 
same year is set down as follows: Indian Com 
8555,415,930; hay 8342,203,445; wheat $294,- 
580,990; cotton $272,930,400 ; oats $129,499,930; 
potatoes $65,019,420; tobacco $30,342,000; bar¬ 
ley $29.952,082; ryo $13 G3t,9UU; buckwheat 
$7,160,267, the hay crop being worth nearly 20 
per cent of tho value of ail the farm products 
of the country. 
