284 



Potatoes, Wheat, SfC, — Sulphate of Ammonia, Sfc. Vol. IX. 



stamping violently with his fore foot, which 

 continued for a minute or two. The West 

 ward omnibus was standing some 30 or 40 

 feet in front of hira. Walking up to it, he 

 put his foot on the upper step, and com- 

 menced biting it. After relieving himself 

 of the fly — as I supposed it was — he backed 

 the buggy to his old position. Although 

 John knew, and had his reason, why he 

 went to the omnibus, yet it is proper the 

 learned public should be informed, that as 

 his check rein would not allow his head to 

 be brought down to his foot, he went to the 

 omnibus to bring up his foot to his head! 

 Mr. P., then and now of this city, and a 

 number of other gentlemen, were amused 

 spectators of this performance. 



John is a Northern horse, finely formed, 

 and without a blemish; and although in his 

 twelfth year, he has all the playfulness and 

 elasticity of a colt. H. W. Taylor. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Potatoes, Wheat, «&c. 



Potatoes in this section of country the 

 past season, have rotted to an alarming ex- 

 tent ; and I learn from the papers that the 

 complaint is very extensive; many conject- 

 ures and speculations have been afloat re- 

 specting the cause. Among the most pro- 

 bable causes that I have heard, is wet 

 weather. 



Through the whole course of last sum- 

 mer the ground was not dry enough to work 

 more than two or three days at a time. I 

 concluded this must be the cause, and upon 

 general inquiry and particular examination, 

 I found that the more dry and hilly the land, 

 the less disease among the potatoes. The 

 colour of the soil was also found to affect 

 the quality of the potatoes materially. Th^ 

 blacker the land — other things being equal — 

 the more disease ; from this I conclude that 

 the heat absorbed by the colour of the soil, 

 together with excessive moisture, causes all 

 the complaint of which we hear so much 

 In situations where potatoes are subject to 

 this disease, the driest and lightest coloured 

 land should be selected. There may some 

 advantage be derived from planting in ridges 

 thrown up for the purpose. Potatoes should 

 be planted as soon as the ground is in good 

 condition, and dug as soon as they are done 

 growing. 



Wheat is often much injured by the rust, 

 and in some situations and unfavourable sea- 

 sons it has been so completely destroyed, as 

 not to pay for reaping, though quite a large 

 crop of straw. It has been generally con- 

 ceded that the rust is caused by the bursting 

 of the straw, and the sap or nourishment 



that should feed the grain, is permitted to 

 ooze out and dry on the surface. There are 

 several things that tend to the production of 

 rust; one of the most prominent is late sow- 

 ing, which brings the critical time of ripen- 

 ing too late in the summer, when hot days 

 and frequent showers cause a greater flow 

 of sap than the grain can dispose of; in con- 

 sequence of which the straw bursts, the sap 

 runs out, and the grain shrivels for the want 

 of nourishment. 



Wheat that is seldom agitated by the 

 wind, is apt to grow tall and tender, and is 

 sure to be ruined unless the ripening season 

 is very dry and cool, so as to feed the grain 

 slowly. 



It is a fact that may have escaped the ob- 

 servation of some, that wheat never rusts in 

 countries where it is constantly agitated by 

 the wind; this is owing, I suppose, to its 

 growing slower; consequently the straw is 

 firmer, and not so liable to be ruptured, and 

 the danger of any sudden flow of sap is en- 

 tirely removed by continual waving. 



MicAjAH T. Johnson. 



Short creek, Ohio, 1845. 



Sulphate of Ammonia, its uses, 4&c., for 

 Farming purposes. 



Sulphate of ammonia is better known to 

 the farmer than any other salts of ammonia, 

 having been a good deal advertised of late 

 by venders of artificial manures. This salt 

 is a compound of sulphuric acid — oil of vit- 

 riol — and ammonia. It is not found in a 

 free state of nature, but is obtained by add- 

 ing oil of vitriol to urine in a state of fer- 

 mentation ; or another plan is to apply the 

 same acid to the waste liquor — ammoniacal 

 liquor — of the gas works, and then applying 

 heat ; the water is driven ofl^, and the sub- 

 stance called sulphate of ammonia is left. 

 The sulphate obtained from urine contains 

 other salts, as the phosphates found in urine, 

 and which are likely to add to its utility. 

 The simple mode in which sulphate of am- 

 monia is got, will show the farmer how much 

 might be effected by a general acquaintance 

 with chemistry. The urine of his stall-fed 

 animals might be collected, free of other 

 matters, by having a small reservoir at one 

 extremity of his buildings, into which, by 

 small channels, the fluid would run from 

 each of the out-houses where the cattle are 

 lodged. Let the urine so collected ferment, 

 and pour into it a quantity of the oil of vit- 

 riol, which can be purchased at the drug- 

 gists' for a mere trifle. The vitriol has the 

 effect of Jixing the ammonia — that is, pre- 

 venting its flying off", which it is apt to do 

 when in combination with carbonic acid. 



