244 



Ashes— Flax-seed— nohan Potatoes. 



Vol. II. 



count in the gentleman's own words. As 

 there is in our country a great quantity of 

 similar land, I thought perhaps, some one 

 might be benefited by noticing my broken re- 

 collection of the statement. Indeed, I have 

 ever considered it as one of the most interest- 

 ing agricultural experiments I have ever met 

 with. 



At the time it came under my notice, I 

 had in the country a farm connected with a 

 manufactory, and observing on it, a steep 

 gravelly side hill that had become barren by 

 washing, after repeated ploughings; I was 

 induced, from the liints of tJie above statement, 

 to order early in the spring a top dressing 

 of compost, containing leached ashes, and 

 to be sowed plentifully with grass seeds, 

 white and red clover and spear grass (Poa 

 prateusis) which germinated freely. The 

 next year the land was nearly swarded, 

 and a tolerable crop of grass, which I suf- 

 fered to decay on the ground undisturbed. 

 The following year the ground was well 

 covered with a firm sward, and yielded a 

 fair crop of excellent hay, and the land ap- 

 peared in good heart. The following win- 

 ter the property was sold, and subsequently, 

 I have had no opportunity to judge of it' 

 I am yours respectfully 



David L. Dodge, 



Cedar Brook, Plainfield, N. J. ■) 

 Feb. 24, 133S. ^ 



RELATIVE VALUE OF PLASTER AND ASHES 

 FOR CORN. 



I took three rows in a small piece of corn 

 beside my garden, and put a handful of ashes 

 on each hill of one, a teaspoonful of plaster 

 on each hill of another, and the third left 

 without putting on any of either. I culti- 

 vated them all a like, hoeing them twice. 

 During the season some pigs got in and root- 

 ed up one end of the rows, leaving but about 

 five rods of each that ca.me to maturitv. In 

 the fall I husked the rows as far as tliey had 

 not been injured, and weighed the ears of 

 each : — Weight of the ashed row, 49 3-4 

 -,- . , " plastered row, 48 1-2 



Weight of the row which was neither 



plastered nor ashed, 41 1.4 



_ The ground was green-swar^ turned over 

 in the spring; the soil clay, inclined; to a 

 loam, 



portions with other food, is worth more for 

 feeding, than four bushels of any other grain 

 not excepting even wheat. I should like 

 some of your intelligent correspondents to 

 furnish their views on this subject, in a sub- 

 sequent number of the Cabinet. 



H. 



THE ROHAN POTATOE. 



Several statements relative to the great 

 productiveness of the Rohan Potatoe,a varie- 

 ty cultivated in France, were published in the 

 papers some years ago. In 1835, John A. 

 Thompson, Esq. of Catskill, N. York, who 

 has a quantity of them for sale, procured 

 some of the seed from France ; and from 

 his experience in cultivating them the two 

 past seasons, he says he is perfectly satisfied 

 of their great superiority for the table and 

 their extraordinary productiveness. It issaid 

 that in France they have weighed as high as 

 141b3. Judge Buel says he planted 12 lbs. 

 of these potatoes last spring. He divided 

 the tubers into sets of two eyes, and plant- 

 ed one set in a hill four feet apart, in a piece 

 of ground much shaded, and in rather low 

 condition. On the 28th of September they 

 were dug, and found to weigh 525 lbs. and 

 measured nine bushels. " We have hardly 

 been able yet to decide upon the quality of 

 this potatoe, having barely tasted of one ; yet 

 we deem it equal to the English white, orange 

 or the common peach blossom variety, which 

 are kinds commonly cultivated. Others, how- 

 ever, in whose opinion we place great con- 

 fidence, do no" hesitate to pronounce them su- 

 perior for the table. They are undoubtedly 

 the most productive variety of the potatoe 

 we have ever met with." — Genesee Funiier. 



For the Farmers'Cabinet, 



Flax Seed. 



Would it not be well for each of our good 

 farmers to cultivate a small strip of flax, for 

 the seed only; to be used boiled and mixed 

 with cut straw, hay or other food for animals. 

 One bushel of boiled flax-seed, mixed in small I 



GOOD BUTTER. 



We copy the following from the Delaware Coun.'y 

 Republican. 

 The cbunty m which your useful paper is 

 published, and where it so widely circulates, 

 is deservedly celebrated for making' good 

 Butter, consequently the process must neces- 

 sarily be well understood. The knowledge, 

 however, required for the proper manage- 

 ment of a Dairy appears to be very limite«. 

 The object of this communication is to cdl 

 the attention of those who possess experieice 

 on that important subject, and endeavor to 

 elicit from them such information on theart 

 af butter making, as may be useful to the 

 community. There is perhaps no bran;h of 

 agriculture, particularly in the neighbo'hood 

 of large cities, that is so profitable arl tliat 

 requires so much attention, as the butter 

 dairy. — Much information is wanted espect- 

 ing various objects connected with it, 



