a n i tf a rr'T^^'^^ iTrng Megi n jiM i ^fci 



42 



^\)C jTarmn'g iilcutl)li3 bisitov. 



iiiiit of oats oi- corn moal gi-omul in tlio ear, night 

 unci morning', anil I never was tronbled witli liav- 

 in.' my calves get so tiit in vvinler as to die wiili 

 liie black le;,' as your correspondent in the Janu- 

 ury No. of the Cuhivator complains f •'• ., 



Tyre, .V. Y., Jan. 1844. 



In the jiresinit Number of the "Quarterly 

 Joiiiiinlor A^'iicultnre" there is an interesting 

 paper by Prol: Johnston on " The Manuring and 

 Steeping of Seeds." The facts there recorded, 

 and the manner in which they are shown to be 

 what the Unown laws of Vegetable Chemistry 

 ;ii!d Phvsiolog.y would lead us to exyiect, coin- 

 bine toVender this a subject to which the experi- 

 mental Asrietlturalist may usefully direct his at- 

 tention. 



Tiie advautaf^e of steei)infj sec<ls in certain 

 cliemical solutions seems to liave been first point- 

 ed out by F. II. Bi.-lies, of Castel, near Al^iyence. 

 He announced his discovery in a lately-published 

 pamphlot "On the Cultivation of Soil without 

 Manure." Notwithstanding the e.\travaf,'ance in- 

 dicated in its title, and which clinraclerises it 

 tlirouf;hni!t, this publication records some sur- 

 prising- ficts and testimonials on this subject; 

 and tliese have lately been corroborated by the 

 experiments of .Mr. Campbell, of Dundee. A 

 letter descriptive of the method of doctoring 

 seeds adopted by the latter gentleman, and of 

 their consequences as exhibited in the growing 

 plants, has just been published in the Transac- 

 tions of the Euglisli and the Highland Agricul- 

 tural Societies— an extract from it will be found 

 in another column. Mr. Cainpholi's experiments 

 were performed upon seeds planted in the clay 

 taken from eight feet below the surface of the 

 jriomid; ami thouch nndcr such unfavorable 

 circumstances, the Wheat plants from them til- 

 lered into five or eight stems, while those from 

 imprepared seeds had only two or three stems 

 apiece. That, however, which is broadly assert- 

 ed in the Gertiian pamiiblct is also hinted at by 

 Mr. Campbell— viz., that steeping seeds in suita- 

 ble solutions will render all future application ol 

 nnnure unnecessary. This is a statement which 

 no practical farmer can tor one moment enter- 

 tain, and therefore we are glad thai it is^not ne- 

 cessary to suppose it to be true beiiire we can be- 

 lii've that this process may sometimes be bena- 

 1... .allv adopted. 



it seems probable, that by some such means us 

 those suggesteil by Messrs.' Campbell and Bickes, 

 the jieiiod of germination, which is one full i>t 

 danger to the young plant, may in many cases be 

 sliortened; and this is very desirable, for, owing 

 to the conversion of the starch of the seed into 

 siisar, which is then proceeding, tht^ pl.mt is at 



iiig to know the individual effects and relative 

 value of diflerent substances as mantire, wc in- 

 tend to try a series of experiments on the sub- 

 ject, confining onrselves in ench to the ii|)plica- 

 lion of only one of the salts, in the form of 

 which the above substance.s must be employed. 



For those of our readers who may not yet 

 have got in idl their Wheat, for we by no 'means 

 wish that it should be a mere garden experiment, 

 we shall first slate the plan we propose to ado|)t, 

 and should our examjde be follotved by any one, 

 we shall be happy to report next autumn the re- 

 sults of liise.xperiments, along with those of oni' 

 own. 



It is intended to soak for 48 hours previous to 

 sowing, eight parcels of Wheat— say one bushel 

 apiece — each in a solution, to be obtained by dis- 

 solving 5 Ihs. of one of the following substances 

 in .such a quantity of water as may be necessary 

 thoroughly to cover the seed. 



The prices per lb., placed opposite these sub- 

 stances, are such as will be charged by any 

 ickoksak chemist of whom they i!iay be ordered. 

 Silic.iti! of soda Os. Bd. per lb, I Plios. of ammonia ^s Gd per 11). 

 Nitrate ..03 j> Slilpliate . .03 ,, 



Sulphate of soda 3 „ iMuriate . .08,, 

 Pliospliate .16 ,, | Nitrate of Potasli 4 „ 



The VVhc:it,arter being thus treated, will be 

 hoed in at the rate of two bushels of tlie dry 

 seed per acrf;, in drills nine inches wide, and a 

 ridire sown vvith Wheat in the ordinary way will 

 be "left as ti standard of comparison between 

 each couple of adjacent |)lots. The extent of 

 the experiment, for those who may not wish to 

 hazard so extensive a trial, mi*ht be reduced one 

 half without perhaps mnci; impairing the value 

 of its results.— Z/onrfon ./isr. Gazelle. 



For the F.iriner's Monthly Visitor. 

 "English Cattle." 



Messrs. Hill :— On taking up the February 

 No. of the Visitor, the first thing which caught 

 my eye was the following sentence: — 



"Tlie writer of this article has come to the 

 conclusion that the cattle of this couiitry as a 

 whole are decidedly sujierior to those of any oth- 

 er, and that we are the wLser and better in .-c- 

 lectingat hmne than in going abroad!" 



Here thought i, on reading the sentence quo- 

 ted, must be a valuable article! The writer \i 

 pridiahlv some promiucnt individual who has been 

 able to '■ come lo a conclusion" on a question which 

 it is of the first importance should he correctly 

 decided, and in his communication 1 shall nn- 

 doubledly find the details of those observations 

 and experiments liy which this '• conclusion" has 

 been reached, and the grand point so long aimed 

 at, put finallv tit rest ! But judge my surprise, 

 Messrs. Editors, when on cai-efnlly perusing the 

 whole article, I found, instead of the facts IJiad 



There is also, in that coininiinicatio'n, tin ex- 

 pression in regard lo the ^^ excellence" of "the caps 

 which crovvii our [your] hills," whicl; iseems not 

 easy to be understood ; but as the peculiar " excel- 

 lence" of those "caps," whatever it may be, cut)- 

 tiot, probably, be realized except in the immedr- 

 a!e neighborhood, it is presumed to be of little 

 consequence to other sections. 



It is sometimes amusing to see liow scen'^sare 

 changed to suit circumstances. I have heard the 

 story of the transaction, the scene of which " Oltl 

 I'ssex" has laid in "Pickaway county Ohio," told 

 in that county, the oitly difference being, that 

 (here, the trick was believed to have been done in 

 .Yew-Hampshire, .and the " rod calf" instead of 

 being a Durham, was a Devon. This version of 

 the story has the most appearance of probability ; 

 notwithstanding the blundering ignorance of 

 "Old Essex" has led him to give the animal a 

 color which it is well known is comparatively 

 rare in the Durhams, thotigh it is the invariable 

 one with the Devons. 



SANFORD HOW.\RD. 



Albany, 7ih March, 1844. 



Hot Beds. 



Hot beds sliould now be made by those desi- 

 rous of having vei-y early vegetables. This may 

 be done with a layer of horse manure two feet 

 deep, well settled together, over v/hich place a 

 few inches of garden mould, iniermi.xed with 

 sand, nnless there is enough in the soil. Around 

 this is placed a frame, to keep the manure and 

 soil in their place, and over it glass frames incli- 

 ning about 2.5 deg. toward the south. The seeds 

 of all such vegetables as are required for early 

 use may then be sown— such as cabbages, cau- 

 liflower, radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, &c. The 

 surface should be kept sufficiently moist, and, du- 

 ring the middle of the day, in very warm v/eather, 

 the glass may be withdrawn so as to let the sun 

 in upon the plants. As much air sliould be ad- 

 mitted as can be safely done without injury to 

 the plant from reducing the temperature too 

 greatly, as the growing vegetables soon change 

 The air and render it unfit for nutrition. A great 

 many litlle comforts may be procured by atten- 

 tion to a hot bed; and ifyon live near a market 

 enough may be sold from your early vegetables 

 to remunerate you for :iil jour trouble and ex- 

 pense thrice over. If the ground is frozen, con- 

 tinue preparing for spring, as directed in Decem- 

 ber. — American .igricuUurisI, Jan. 



For t!io Farmer's Montlily Visitor. 

 j>Ieteoro!osical Journal kept at Concord 



BY A. CH.<.3VI>L,ER. 



:hf;';h;;:;u;b;:;o^;uaH;;'fV;;;;;''Mi'-sort:-of-;er: beo looking ^r. oaW a smy nan-ation of. 



.. ■ ri> ■ ..._: II.. ...... l..iii>>iiil CI \* 111 rut 



min. Ill the case of the 'I'uriiip, especially, any 

 menus « hicli woul.l lii.rry it through this period 

 into the rough-leaved stage of its growth w(mld 

 be most useful, as it is only when its leaves aie 

 still sweet ihiit it is liable to the attacks of the fly. 



But from the results of some of iMr. Camp- 

 bell's experiments we may inter that the influence 

 of his proce.-s extends into the fiilnre history of 

 the plant mueh bevoiid the period of its germina- 

 tion ; and it is on this account that we would rec- 

 ommend it now as a suitable subject of experi- 

 ment for Wheat growers. The mineral ingre- 

 dients of Wheat amount to about oiic-filiielh.of 

 its weight; raid, from tlie mere fact of their ex- 

 istence'^in the seed, it is probable that they exert 

 an imi>ortant influence over its fiermiiiation and 

 fmnre growth. Anv artificial addition to their 

 quantity— and. by soaking Wheal in certain snlu- 

 tioiis vve Ciin dmMe the natural (piantity of its 

 mineral couslitiienis — will therefore increase 

 that infloence. 



The following are the sub.<t.ii:ces which, be- 

 sides ibe four elements composing' its organic 

 ttriicture, are to be fiamd i8,\J{beat :— soda, pot- 

 ash, lime, magne.^ia, sidphmic and, phosphoric 

 acid, silica, alumina, and chlorine. 



It would i.robahly not be diflicnlt lo dis.=olve 

 in watersuch matter ia such quantities that the 

 (solution should cimlain in their iiatnial propor- 

 tions all iliese mineral substances ; so that Wheat, 



lions a I iese mineral snnsiances , i-u umi .. ..-..., • ■.■ - - ■' . , . „ ,..„ 

 by beingslecpcd in .1^ woiild n,c,-e,y imu-ease the siliniis to 11. i^ 



fancied exfiloit of some Yankee pi-dlar, with 

 merely the fictitious signature of " Old Essex !"_ 

 Now, as the improvement of our domestic iuii- 

 mals, and ascertaiuiug which are the most profit- 

 able breeds, must be regarded as of great impor- 

 tance, and as all the light which can be had on 

 this subject is more or less valuable, I should feel 

 obliged if you will in your next number inform 



First, what are the experiments on trial, Irorn 

 wiii<-.h " Old Essex" has deduced his " conclusion ?" 

 and, 



Secoiiil, what is his character for correctness ol 



judgiiieiit, and f'U- veracity ? 



Perhaps, however, the notoritlif of that individ- 

 nal's character is such, that by giving his proper 

 name nothing more will be required; but you 

 must at once admit the necessity of obtaining such 

 inlbriiiation as is called for, beliire any definite or 

 dislinct idea in relation lo the matter can be form- 

 ed. . . , 



There are one or two other points m the com- 

 mmiication referred to, on which iiirormalion is 

 wanted. Will you please lo tell us « hat is iiicant 

 by the expression " such bubbles as merino sheep ?" 

 riiavebeen accustomed to believe, from having 

 v'iven some attention to our statistics, &c., that 

 die value of the .Merino wool and its maiinfic- 

 mres, have rendered the intioduclion of that vti- 

 rieiv of sheep, one of the most important acqui- 

 ' • ■ ;a11 but " Old Es- 



g'uanti'y of ils iiiineral ingredients, wulioot at all 

 disturbiii:; the balance among them which Na- 

 ture has assigned ; and perhaps this vvould be 

 the best way of proceeding ; but as it is interest- 



sex" and " New-Hampshire,") entirely wrong a- 

 boutil.^ Is itall a "iuitJc"? Do tell us— e;,- 

 lighlen our minds, not darken them by such vague 

 and obscme innendoes. 



RiMAnKs.— Snowed in the night of the .51li dav, 4J inches ; 

 in thfl nishtof the 15th, 6 inch._-3. The clomls have been ol 

 Uie str.atus foimatioii almost wuliout exception llimuplioul the 

 mouth, and so still, apparently, most of the nine, ihat no mi_- 

 tii.'i could be detected. .Mean temperature of the month, Si o. 

 Mean of the month last vear, IS^a. Mean temperature of Jan- 

 uary this vear li'% .Mean of January last year, 28'>5- Wean 

 of January and February this year, I9°3. Mean of Jaiuiary 

 ' and February last year, 23=3. The mean temper.ature^of Jan- 

 uary and February this year, is the same as it was in Itfji, anil 

 lower than al any time since 1829, when it was 18%. The 

 mean temperature of January this year is the lowest that t can 

 liod on record. 



Lime for Horses and Cattle.— A writer in 

 the American Fanner recommends the giving of 

 small quantities of lime to horses and cattle, as a 



