No. 8. ^gricrdtural Implements. — Mode of Raising Corn. 



237 



the disease first attacked the stalk, and af- 

 terwards reached to the tuher. Early plant- 

 ing he recommended as likely to bring the 

 potatoe to perfection before the disease made 

 its appearance. 



Col. Johnson said in reply to this, that an 

 analysis of the rot showed that the disease 

 did not originate in the stalk, but first at- 

 tacked the tuber of the plant. Indeed, all 

 experience was at fault, and no two accounts 

 scarcely agreed as to the origin or cause of 

 the disease. The subject was an endless 

 one, if commenced, and he suggested that 

 it should not go further at present. 



Mr. Comstock, of Oneida, offered the fol- 

 lowing resolution, as the sense of those pre- 

 sent, in view of the discussion which had 

 been listened to: 



Resolved, That in the judgment of this 

 meeting, it is generally most expedient to 

 apply manures in an unfermented state over 

 clayey or stiff soils, and particularly for hoed 

 crops, and that it should be well incorporated 

 with the soil; on lighter soils, whether of a 

 sandy or gravelly character, it is far more 

 profitable to make the application in a fer- 

 mented compost, for nearly if not quite every 

 kind of crop. 



The resolution was agreed to without dis- 

 sent. — Albany Evening Journal. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Agricultural Implements. 



Mr. Editor, — On a recent visit to the Ag- 

 ricultural Implement Depository of Prouty 

 & Barrett, in Market street. No. 194^, where, 

 as the late Mr. Charles Roberts of Arch st., 

 once said, " If I have half an hour to spare, 

 I spend it amidst an almost endless variety 

 of machinery, from an apple-parer to a thrash- 

 ing machine," I observed a platform dog- 

 power of very neat construction, to which 

 might be attached a revolving, as well as 

 vertical, or dash butter-churn, with the great- 

 est facility. But, as the machine is calcu- 

 lated for one dog only, I would suggest, as 

 there generally are several of these animals 

 kept on the farm, that the platform be widen- 

 ed, so as to admit two, or even three, to ope- 

 rate at the same time; thus increasing the 

 power, at no increase of expense. 



But I have long thought, that the churn- 

 ing of cream is the legitimate province of 

 the bull — the only idle individual on the 

 farm — whose great weight would thus be 

 brought finely into play, with much benefit 

 to his bodily health, and conducive to his 

 greater usefulness. Nor do I consider it at 

 all above his means, to turn to, and cut chaff 

 for the horses, as well as cows, at leisure 

 hours; which, with a 12 Knife Hovey's 



Straw, Hay and Stalk Cutter, he could easi- 

 ly perform, at the rate of more than a bushel 

 per minute. 



By the way, Mr. Editor, what has become 

 of the Fodder Cutter patented by Richard- 

 son, and exhibited at the late Philadelphia 

 Agricultural Society's meeting, which re- 

 ceived a premium at the hands of the Com- 

 mittee on Implements, and was considered 

 by many as likely to supercede the use of 

 all others'? It was an easy-working imple- 

 ment in the hands of those whose interest it 

 was to attend to it, and performed well ; but 

 I could but observe, that although it was 

 kept perpetually going, there appeared a 

 very small heap of cut chaff at the end of a 

 whole day's work ; which, to say the least, 

 would have been augmented to twelve times 

 the quantity, by a Hovey's 12 Knife Imple- 

 ment; making twelve cuts at a revolution, 

 against the single and solitary cut per revo- 

 lution, of the Richardson; which I could but 

 consider a sort of retrogade movement, in 

 the science of utilitarianism. Is it true, 

 that, like the Barnaby &. Moore Plough, 

 this premium Chaft-cutter has disappointed 

 the expectations of its friends, after being 

 honoured with the award of a Society, to 

 which we look with confidence and satisfac- 

 tion, while forming our judgment on sub- 

 jects so important to the agricultural com- 

 munity^ I fear so, I must confess; but 

 would be glad to receive information through 

 the pages of the Cabinet. D. C. 



Philadelphia. 



Mode of Raising Corn. 



Mr. Lawton of Great Barrington, opened 

 the discussion, and remarked that, no doubt 

 every one present who knew anything about 

 raising corn, had a system of his own, and 

 believed that his system was a little ahead 

 of his neighbour's. He thought this feeling 

 prevailed to too great an extent, and did 

 much towards closing the door of informa- 

 tion against improvement. Such was the 

 case with himself, and though he believed 

 that his manner of cultivation produced as 

 large crops as any other, still he would not 

 ask any person to receive or entertain any 

 thing more of what he might say, than they 

 found to be in keeping with plain common 

 sense and truth. Mr. Lawton then intro- 

 duced the results of six experiments made 

 by Mr. Geddes, of Cayuga county. New 

 York, for the purpose of determining the 

 distance at which corn should be planted, 

 and the manner of application, and best kind 

 of manure. 



The first, in the year 1837, was as fol- 

 lows : The ground was ploughed six inches 



