No. 8. 



Broom Corn—Iiemedy for Bi/rns. 



259 



farmer, but when judiciously managed noth- 

 ing is more profitable.] 



PULVERIZE THE SOIL. 



Few farmerfl are probably fully aware of 

 the vast importance of keeping the earth well 

 pulverized, and especially in seasons of 

 drought It has been observed by the cele- 

 brated Mr. TuLL, and by many others since 

 his time, that thoroughly pulverizing the 

 soil, and reducing it to a perfect tilth, in- 

 creases and extends the pasture of plants. 

 The soil thus pulverized more readily attracts 

 the moisture, always floating in the atmos- 

 phere. Mr. Joseph VViMPEY says, "I made 

 several observations which clearly explain, 

 to my own satisfaction, how dividing and pul- 

 verizing the poil becomes the proper mode of 

 conveying the aliment prepared by nature for 

 the sustenance of plants, into the bosom of 

 the earth. One observation I will mention, 

 as it is directly to the purpose. One evening, 

 near the time of the men's leaving work, a 

 smart shower of rain came on, which drove 

 them off. They were digging one of the 

 plots where beans had previously grown. The 

 shower did not last more than half an hour. 

 The next morning, as the men were digging, 

 I observed that the rain had not penetrated 

 above half an inch into the ground ; I re- 

 quested one of them to dig two or three spits 

 of the ground that had been dug the day be- 

 fore, when it clearly appeared that the rain, 

 in the new-dug ground, had gone as deep as 

 the spade, which was full twelve inches." 

 Here then, the readers of the Cabinet may 

 see how, and by what means, the principles 

 of vegetation are acquired, by keeping the 

 land in thorough cultivation. 



CAIXULATIONS OF THE WEIGHT PER BUSHEL, 

 AND THE NOMBGR OF GRAINS OF SUNDRY 

 SEEDS, &.C. 



One acre of land, drilled at a foot distance 

 on ridges of 8 feet 3 inches wide, contains in 

 length 505,880 inches. 



A bushel of wheat, weighing 62 pounds, 

 contains 516,000 grains. Dropping one grain 

 to an inch requires less than one bu.shel to an 

 acre. 



A bushel of barley, weighing 52 pounds, 

 contains 515,000 grains. 



A bushel of poplar or pig peas, weighing 

 64 pounds, contains 107,000 peas. 



A bushel of horse beans, weighing 64 

 pounds, contains 35,000 beans. 



A bushel of oats, weighing 32 pounds, con- 

 tains 1,280,000 grains. 



As all grains vary in size, the number con- 

 tained in a bushel will be increased or di- 

 minished; but the above are the average 

 numbers. 



For t!ie Farmera" rahinet. 



Broom Corn. 



It is somewhat surprising that broom corn 

 is not more extensively cultivated in this re- 

 gion of country. It is carried on on a great 

 scale along the valley of the Connecticut, 

 and to some extent in almost every part of 

 New England. Its culture has been recently 

 introduceij into the District of Columbia, 

 where, I learn a large factory for the manu- 

 facture of brooms is now m successful opera- 

 tion. The raising of broom corn in New 

 England has been, and still is, a lucrative 

 business; and I am apprized of no snflicient 

 reason why it cannot become such in our own 

 Pennsylvania. I find in an old numbi r of the 

 New York Farmer, a communication from 

 that zealous and enlightened friend of agri- 

 culture. Rev. H. Coleman, of Mass., on its 

 cultivation. He says "the seed is considered 

 of about two-thirds of the value of oats, and 

 mixed with corn, makes an excellent proven- 

 der for the fattening of either swine or neat 

 cattle. The return of seed is very precari- 

 ous, but often abundant, reaching to 150 bush- 

 els per acre. The seed is planted in row.?, 

 wide enough apart for the cultivator to pass 

 between them, and dropped in hills about 

 eighteen mches from each other. Four or 

 five stalks are considered sufficient to remain 

 in a hill — more are sometimes allowed. The 

 cultivation and manuring is more than for 

 Indian corn. The stalks are not eaten by 

 cattle, or even browsed by them. The culti- 

 vator considers five cents a pound a good 

 price for his crop." From 10 to 1500 pounds 

 of the brush are raised on an acre. P. D. 



Buckingham, Feb. 1, 1830. 



A'ot*.— We have ordered a quantity of thn seeii of the 

 broom corn, which may br. obtained at the ottice of the 

 Farmers' Cahinet. 



Remedy for Burns. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cibinet. 



Sir, — The communication of a Philadel- 

 phia Physician (p. 199) is invaluable. The 

 remedy can be depended upon, for it is based 

 on true chemical principles. A'll sores, and 

 particularly those arising from burns or scalds, 

 are in a high state of oxydizement and acid- 

 ity — soot contains abundance of alkali in its 

 formation, and is strongly antisceptic, its cliief 

 ingredient being csrbon— the two properties 

 united, must, therefore, form the neplus ultra 

 in time of need. 



This recipe is far preferable to lime water, 

 for although that has been found of great ben- 

 efit, on account of its alkaline property, it is 

 destitute of the antisceptic quality; and the 

 same may be said of the saponaceous liniment 

 made by mixing lime water with oil. 



I once knew a child that h,ad been dread- 

 fully burned by falling into the fire ; after be- 



