MABGH 23 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Building Material. —Nature has thrown up 
in mounds, here and there, atone in sufficient 
quantities to supply the wants of all; it is mag¬ 
nesia iimeetone. Brick of an excellent quality is 
also made. 
Churches, Schools and Society.— Almost in 
every school district there is a church organiza¬ 
tion. At this point we have five church organi¬ 
zations, consisting of the Presbyterian, Metho¬ 
dist, Baptist, Christian and Catholic. The white 
school-houses can be seen dotting the prairies in 
every direction. We now have about 100 in this 
county. Society here will compare well with 
that in many old counties in the East. 
Towns, Bail-Hoads, Ac. —Wellington is the 
county-seat and on Slate Creek; Oxford is on the 
Arkansas Biver; Caldwell on the Chicaskie; 
many other thriving towns are yet in their in¬ 
fancy, hut are destined to become populous and 
wealthy. Our nearest Rail-Road point is Wichita, 
a distance of 35 miles. From that place there is 
a line of daily stages to this and other points in 
the county. Eden. 
Oxford, Sumner Co., Feb. 25. 
-- 
WHERE IS THE BEST LOCALITY FOR 
FARMING 1 
NELSON ritteb. 
Syracuse, N. Y., Feb. 23. 
My article published in Rural of Dec. 29, has 
called out several inquiries, by mail, as to the 
best place for “ new beginners ” to locate a 
farm. It will save my time, and perhaps inter¬ 
est an occasional reader, if I answer through the 
columns of the Rural. 
I would as soon attempt to choose a “wife,” 
for another person, as a farm. It would be just 
as wise to warrant perfect satisfaction in the 
first instance, as in the second. There is such 
a variety of opinions as to the moat favorable 
localities, suoh a diversity of soils, even in the 
same neighborhoods, so many endless and con¬ 
flicting questions to settle, that the wisest may 
well hesitate before making a selection, even for 
himself, but to choose satisfactorily for another 
is attended with still greater difficulties. 
Every person has Ids own peculiar notions, 
that ate to bo taken into account; his likes and 
dislikes to he considered, and his prej udioe to be 
thought of. One man thinks neaxmess to mar¬ 
ket the main consideration ; another wishes to 
locate where land is cheap, so that he can own a 
large tract of it; and still another’s greatest 
desire, may be to settle in his own native State, 
surrounded by his relatives and friends. Some 
young men wish to stay near thejr father, that 
they may be benefited by his counsel, and—if 
worst comes to worst—receive aid from him ; 
others desire to strike out independently, and 
rise or fall by their own exertions. 
I must confess that this latter class havo my 
sympathy. Whon a young man, I spent several 
years in a dozen different States, looking for the 
very best place to looato. California I found to 
afford many advantages; Oregon the same; 
Nevada, Kansas, Idaho, and Nebraska, all have 
many desirable points. Michigan, Wisconsin, 
Iowa, and in fact, all of the Western States 
possess plenty or good land, with almost every 
variety of location. I finally settled down within 
twenty-five miles of tho place from which I 
first set out. My present location is very satis¬ 
factory to me, but yet, very likely it is not—in 
the opinions of other people at least—the very 
best that could have been seleotod. The fact is 
that owing to thoro being so much that is good 
and desirable to choose from, it is impossible to 
select tho vory best; or — if a reasonable 
amount of caution is nsed—to eutirely fail in 
finding what will prove satisfactory. A more 
competent judge than myself says : “Wo can¬ 
not select any particular locality ad better than 
another, wbilo advantages and drawbacks are so 
variously intermixed, and while different places 
are fitted to the peculiarities and preferences of 
purchasers." I think one should bo governed, to 
a certain extent, by his predilections. 
lo illustrate: I would soonor climb the hills 
of Y ork State, wrestle with the rocks and stones, 
which we have in such great abundance, than 
to face the fearful winds that provail through¬ 
out tho Western States, while it is altogether 
likely that the average Western man who oau 
plow a whole section without finding a stone 
large enough to throw at a bird, would docido 
quite differently. Again, I have a certain pride 
in being a citizen of this Empire State, the most 
populous and wealthy of them all. To quote 
the language of another: “No wonder it is 
called tho Empire State! Think of itd grand 
natural beauties! Its eastern boundary is 
followed by the majestic Hudson; on its west¬ 
ern, thunders the cataract of Niagara; its florth- 
ern boundary is formed by that great'inland 
fresh-water sea, Ontario, and the noble St. 
Lawrence, with its wondrous thousand islands. 
I hrough its center is scattered the loveliest line 
of lakes—a score or more in nnrnbor—besides 
Watkins and Havana Glens. It is also rich in 
waterfalls. Genesee, Trenton, Portage, Tang- 
hauic and many others of lesser note.” 
One can well be excused for hesitating, before 
abandoning all this loveliness—not half enumer¬ 
ated above. But persons will, perhaps, exclaim : 
“ All sentiment, and it will not help one to earn 
a living," wbieh is true ; but it certainly renders 
life more pleasant and happy to look upon so 
many beauties. Take all the poetry and senti¬ 
ment out of our lives, and compel ns to consider 
only “what we are to eat, and wherewith we 
shall be clothed,” and this life will be a hum¬ 
drum affair certainly. 
I will drop a few hints that may be of some 
service to new beginners. When one intends to 
settle in a location with which ho is not familiar, 
do not he in too great haste in bnying. Better 
wait a year, at least, and study carefully all the 
advantages and disadvantages of the locality; 
notice the crops grown, tho expenses of market¬ 
ing etc., etc., and finally when you buy, buy the 
very best land to be procured, remembering the 
dearest land is often the cheapest in the long 
run. The most productive laud not only pays 
the best while in your possession, but is also the 
most salable, should you desire to change your 
locality. Do not buy too much land. This is 
the rock upon which many a new beginner has 
been ship-wreckod. In the West especially has 
this been too true. With those who have had 
no experience in farmiug the greatest caution is 
necessary. Unless they have capital sufficient 
to enable them to farm it for several years at a 
loss, until they have learned the business, they 
had better hire a farm for a few years or else— 
what is perhaps better still—work for some 
successful, practical farmer, until they have 
learned the modus operandi, My object in 
offering this advice, is by no means to discourage 
any one from engaging in farming, but to assist 
them, if possible, in making their undertaking a 
successful one. 
-- 
NOTES FROM SOUTH CAROLINA. 
I don’t think the friends of the Rurual prop- 
erly appreciate, or rather avail themselves of, 
all the advantages which might be derived from 
the column, which has been set apart for cor¬ 
respondents from “Everywhere." I regard 
this column, as a sort of puplic reception-room, 
where every one is free and easy, and at liberty 
to address his neighbor with all the freedom of 
polite intercourse, while the noighbor would be 
deemed uncivil not to respond in the same 
spirit. For instance, I would ask my neighbor: 
“ Where are you from ? Excuse me, but is your 
country a desirable one to live in ? What are its 
advantages, and disadvantages ? How iB the 
Boeiety morally, and intellectualiy ? What are 
its resources, developed and undeveloped? How 
about its healthfulnoss, climate, water, soil,” 
together with a thousand other questions, more 
in detail, which would bo interesting and in¬ 
structive to one desiring information, and in 
addition to contributing a useful fnnd of infor¬ 
mation, would awaken an interest in, and culti¬ 
vate a friendship between individuals from dif¬ 
ferent sections of our country now again united, 
which could uot be but productive of good. 
Well, to follow out this suggestion, I will jot 
down a few notes concerning this part of the 
world. 
This place is a neat little country village, 
which has sprung up around a most remarkable 
mineral spring, containing lime, magnesia, and 
sulphur, in their various combinations, and 
whose waters are claimed to bo efficacious in dis¬ 
eases of the stomach, liver and kidneys, and are 
much resorted to. It is situated in Spartanburg 
county, ouo of tho Piedmont counties of the 
State,about t welve miles from tho Richmond and 
Atlanta Air-Line Railroad, and is easily accessi¬ 
ble from the towu of Spartanburg. Spartan¬ 
burg county is one of tho largest, and most im¬ 
portant counties in tho State—important for its 
location, and for its wonderful resources in ag¬ 
riculture, manufacturing facilities, and mining, 
the last two of which are as yet almost entirely 
undeveloped. To give an idea of its water pow¬ 
er: there are five large streams; two, the Broad 
River and the Euorco, bounding it on the east 
and the west, and tho others ranniug at about 
equal distances through its length, and all of 
them, intersected by ledges of gneiss rock rim¬ 
ing at right angles with tho stroams, and at reg¬ 
ular intervals along them, like the steps made 
by some Cyclopean giant up to his home in the 
Blue Ridge Mountains. And yet the couutry is 
by no means mountainous or rugged, except in 
the northern part, near tho mountains. 
Prof. Oscar M. Leirer, in his Zoological re¬ 
port of the State, mentions by name, some reg¬ 
ular shoals in these streams, raugiug from five 
to eighty-five feet fall, in from three to sixty 
ohaiuB—and Trof. Tourney, spoaldug of those 
in the Euorce River, the western boundary of 
tho county, says: “ At Gordon’s Mill the falls 
are thirty to forty feet in 200 yards, and a few 
miles higer up, at the Muutaii shoals, there is a 
fall of seveuty feet in about the same distance, 
and at Van Patton shoalH the river falls fiftv-livo 
feet in about one hundred yards. So very even 
is the edge of the rock at these, and in fact, all 
of the shoals made by the gneiss rock, that it 
forms a natural dam across the streams whioh 
it crosses, and it is impossible to examine these 
localities without being impressed with the 
great facilities which they afford, at small ex¬ 
pense, for manufacturing purposes. 
Besides these falls there are a number of 
mines of gold, copper and iron—iron of the best 
quality, and gold, if scientifically mined for, 
would be more permanently remunerating than 
the auriferous deposits of the Pacific slope; and 
to oap tbo whole, we have at Limestone Springs 
the itacolumite or flexible quartz, a sure con- 
cumitaut of the diamond that, as yet, never has 
been found. 
Thia is tbo place, which that great-hearted 
pliiianthropist, Peter Cooper, has recently ex¬ 
pressed an intention to donate to the State, for a 
private school, like his Institute in New York, 
and we are sure when it gets into operation, 
diamonds of the first water, will then, at last, 
be plentiful. 
Weather like spring; indeed, we are all gar¬ 
dening. j. w , 8i 
Glenn Springs, S. C. 
NOTES FROM NEBRASKA. 
Reading Prof. Shelton’s article from Man¬ 
hattan, Kansas,—“ A Kansas Oi chard,”—I am 
reminded of a promise to give you an occasional 
article from the “ Twin Sister State," Ne¬ 
braska. 
We have had a remarkably open, mild winter 
thus far, in fact, scarcely any weather we could 
call winter. This has really beon what wo never 
before had, a wet winter. Frequent rains, and 
snow which melted away quickly, leaving the 
soil in excellent condition for tho coming crop 
season. Some early spring wheat has already 
been sown. The fruit prospect was never so 
promising as at present date. Our frnit ordeal, 
however, is yet to come. March is the critical 
period for fruit in thia State. When premature¬ 
ly advanced by the warming influence of mild 
February and early March weather, wo are some¬ 
times caught by a cold snap in the latter month, 
that blights fruit hopes. Wo anticipate a glo¬ 
rious crop season, however, for 1873. 
Our first State Agricultural Institute has just 
closed a two weeks’ session at Lincoln, the capi¬ 
tal. It was a grand success. There was a gen¬ 
eral attendance from all portions of the State, of 
representative men and minds. It was a pleas¬ 
ant and profitable blending of the practical and 
scientific." The active farmer and t he Professors 
of the State University worked hand in hand. 
The former to present experiments and rosnits, 
and the latter with scientific reasons. The 
whole range of agriculture, horticulture, for¬ 
estry, stock-raising, general crop and fruit grow¬ 
ing, soil and climate was gone over. A vast 
amount of valuable information was imparted 
and obtained. The Institute was gotten up and 
conducted under the auspices of the State Agri¬ 
cultural College and Experimental Farm, pre¬ 
sided over by Prof. Culbertson, a young grad¬ 
uate of the Agricultural College, at present fill¬ 
ing its chair. 
We boast of rare advancement in all referred 
to, and under discussion, during the Institute. 
We are particularly proud of our success in fruit 
culture. Instances were presented of an income 
of two thousand dollars per acre, in apple grow¬ 
ing. Two thousand bushels of apples were gath¬ 
ered from one hundred trees, eighteen years old, 
growing on an acre of gromul, and tho fruit sold 
for one dollar per bushel. This, of course, is 
rare, but it shows what cau be done. 
Groat attention is.beiug given to stock growing 
—cattle, bogs, and sheep particularly. Within 
a few years past, the finer strains of horses have 
been iutrodnoed, and with gratifying success. 
Wool growing is also becoming an important fac¬ 
tor in our products. 
This State is enjoying an unusual influx of im¬ 
migration the present season. The fertile, 
cheap lands are attracting the attention of your 
over-crowded portions of the country, and the 
people nro coming by the thousands. They are 
welcome. With industry and a few years of per¬ 
severance, they will be surrounded with all the 
needful comforts of life. 
Robt. W. Furnas, Proa. Neb. S. H. S. 
■ »» »■ - 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Burlington, Neosho Valley, Kansas.) 
February 25, 1S7S. j 
W e have been having some very nice weather 
for the last ten days so that the roads are get¬ 
ting good again. Some farmers on high prairie 
have commenced plowing already, and others 
are getting ready to plow in a few days. 
On the 25th of .Tauuary we had a thunder and 
lightning storm. The lightning struck one 
house in the oouuty. It struck the roof about 
half way between two lightning rods, and passed 
through tho house into the cellar. There were a 
number of persons in the house at the time but 
nouo was iujured. The rail-road is being pushed 
forward very fast. Owing to the high water in 
the river tho abutments for the bridge cannot 
be finished as soon as expected. Burlington is 
the liveliest town in southern Kansas. Large 
business houses and another hotel are to be put 
up this Bpring. A large qnantity of red oohre 
of tho finest quality has been discovered about 
four miles from Burlington, by the graders on 
the new railroad. Some of It was sent to 
T rofesBor William Kedzie who said it was 
of the best kind. It. has been known for some 
time that the best of fire clay and also yellow 
ochre were to be found in large quantities in the 
county. About ten days ago there was quite an 
excitement in the county south of this, over a 
gold aud silver mine discovered near Yates Cen¬ 
ter, As near as I can learn from the reports, 
tho precious metal was found about seventeen 
feet from the surface, and quite a large vein of 
it. Some are going to have silver whether the 
Silver Bill passes or not. A short time after it 
was found, over a thousand persons arrived there 
in one day. _ E . 0 r> 
Federal Point, Putnam Co., Fla., Fob. 2T. 
Extremes of temperature since Dec. 20 varying 
between 38- to 78 , Weather this wiuter uniform¬ 
ly cool, the tberemomoter ranging in the sixties 
most of the time. To-day a north rain, there- 
mometer 5'J’. Western supplies of flour, grain 
and bacon shipped across from Nashville and 
other points by rail, are sold at about New York 
prices. Sweet Potatoes 35 and 50 cents per 
bushel. Oranges $15 and $30 per 1,000. Or¬ 
ange growing at favorable points in the State is 
becoming quite profitable to those who combine 
skill and some capital with unflagging perse- 
\ dance, while the fail lire of many who were un¬ 
fitted for the task aud unable to meet the re¬ 
quirements of a semi-tropical climate and a 
frontier life, is freeing the business of any un¬ 
healthy speculative tendency. We command 
unrivaled water communication and good mar¬ 
kets, aud I cannot but believe that with the 
more general use of tropical grasses and forage- 
plants to supplant the wire-grass of the piney- 
wooda, cattle and sheep may be raised with 
much profit. Why should native grown mutton 
rarely be seen here when dogs form almost tho 
only drawbacks to successful sheep husbandry ? 
w. H. H. 
Syracuse, March 1. 
On the 9th of last month a meeting was held 
in this city for the purpose of organizing a 
County Agricultural Society. Articles of asso¬ 
ciation were adopted, and ordered filed as 
directed by law. The last County Society was 
abandoned in 1859, liter twenty years of vary in «• 
fortune, and no attempt to organize another 
one has since been made until now. From all 
indications this movement is to prove successful. 
The farmers of the county generally lend a 
ready support to the efforts of its managers in 
all suitable ways. The capital stock is 810,000 
divided into shares of $10 each. Tho subscrip¬ 
tion to the stock will be made as small as pos¬ 
sible, in order that many persons may be en¬ 
listed in the enterprise. E. A. Powell. Esq. 
of tho Nurserymen firm of Smith & Powell, is 
the President. A County Fair wilt be held 
some time in September, and in point of excel¬ 
lence, bids fair to excel any previous one held in 
our county. p, h , a< 
Henrico Co., Va„ March 4. 
Henrico County, which contains Richmond, 
the capital of this State, is, I think, one of tho 
best counties around Richmond. The crops are 
fine; wheat is looking well; winter oats are 
doing finely; the farmers are sowing spring 
oats; potatoes are being planted, and gardening 
is being done ; the ground is in line condition; 
the weather is delightful with occasional show¬ 
ers. Vegetables can be taken from the ground 
every month in the year; produce brings a 
good priee: wheat, $1.30@1.50 per bushel; 
oats, 5Uc.; potatoes, $1; hay, $20; corn, 65@ 
75c.; sweet potatoes, 90c. @®1 per bushel; eggs, 
15c. per dozen; butter 25c. per pound ; horses 
are selling from $50(5)150; cows, $25(5)40. 
Land is selling from $7@60 per acre. w. b. h. 
Sherman, Chaut. Co., N. Y., March ll. 
We have had a very warm and pleasant win¬ 
ter, and March came in warm and pleasant and 
has continued so up to the present writing. Con¬ 
siderable maple sugar is being made by the farm¬ 
ers in this section. We had a slight fall of rain 
last night, but the sun is shining warm and 
bright this morning. An early spring is now 
in order. Wo have already heard of some farm¬ 
ers plowing—something unusual in this vicinity 
at this season of the year. m. l. d. 
Lav alls, Sauk Co., Wls„ March i. 
The weather is spring-like ; robins and blue¬ 
birds have appeared. Wo have had uo snow to 
amount to anything since November. Tho 
weather has been very mild, and farmers have 
been sowing wheat aud plowing all winter. 
Wheat is from 90o. to $1.00; corn, I0o. ; oats, 
20c. ; hay, $7.00 ; potatoes, 30o. ; butter, 12 to 
15c. ; cheese, 10 to 12o. w. s. h. 
Purple Cane, Dodge Co„ Neb., Mor. s. 
It is now raining and thundering, s. r. m. 
