VOL. XV. KO. 3 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL 



19 



careful not to disturb the manure by going too 

 deep with the cultivator. The plouj^h was never 

 used in tlie field after plantinj;, niul the corn thin- 

 ned so as to leave tliree good stalks in the hill. 

 When the corn became (it to top and blade he 

 cut it off by the ground and put it up in shocks. 



The field of 30 acres — one half he covered 

 with oyster shell lime, 100 bushels to the acre, 

 and 5 acres with marl, 12 loads to the acre ; ami 

 previous to planting in corn, the whole field was 

 covered with 40 loads of long manure per acre. 

 The produce of the ground on which the lime and 

 marl were put, was about equal, and exceeded 

 thi'.t of the ground which had not the benefit of 

 the lime and marl, about twelve to fifteen bushels 

 per acre as near as he could judge. The field 

 was planted and tilled in the same way as the one 

 described. In order to test the advantage of the 

 cultivator over the plough, for tilling coni, he had 

 five furrows in this field that he lajiped the fur- 

 row to, with a plough, previous to going over it 

 the last time with the cultivator. He soon dis- 

 covered that the growth of those five rows fell 

 short, in height, of those adjacent, and yielded 

 one-fifth less corn. 



There is no doubt but this mode of tilling corn, 

 especially where the sod ground is used, is, to 

 plough deep, and to use nothing but the fallow 

 and fluke harrow for its cultivation. By not dis- 

 turbing the sod ploughed down, it remains there 

 as a reservoir of moisture, and an exhilarating 

 principle throughout the season, to the growth of 

 the corn. 



The third field of 27 acres was covered with 

 about 30 loads of manure to the acre, in the spring 

 of 1834, and 6 or 7 years ago, 60 bushels of stone 

 lime, per acre, was put upon it. The planting 

 and mode of cultivation was the same. I might 

 here remark, that all the second, and a part of the 

 third field, were in corn, the year before last. 

 James N. Sotton. 



St. Georges, Del. March 5, 1836. 



.Yote. — The management which led to the ex- 

 traordinary product of corn, should be deeply im- 

 pressed upon the mind of every corn grower. 1, 

 Tlie ground was well dunged with long manure ; 

 2, it vvas planted on a grass lay, with one deep 

 piougiiing ; 3, it was pulverized witii the iianovv ; 



4, the plough was not used in the after culture, 

 nor the corn hilled, but the cultivator only used ; 



5, the sod was not disturbed, nor the manure 

 turned to the surface ; and 6, the corn was cut to 

 the ground, when it was fit to to|). These are 

 the points which we have repeatedly urged in 

 treating of the culture of this crop ; and their cor- 

 rectness is put beyond question by this notable 

 result. The value of lime and marl are well il- 

 lustrated in the second experiment. — Conductor 

 qf the Cultivator. 



COW TARD FROLiICS. 



How many lamentable as well as laughable 

 scenes 1 have witnessed in the cow-yard, wlien 

 good management would have produced a flowing 

 ))ail of milk, quietly and peaceably drawn from 

 the cow, with ease and comfort to her, and the 

 milker satisfied and thankful. There are difl^erent 

 ways to do the same thing, yet but one way, that is 

 right, and that is the best way. For instance, you 

 have a cow with sore or cracked teats, from which 

 when milked the blood will ooze out between the 

 fingers. This must necessarily be very painful to 



the cow ; hut never mind that — she nnist stand 

 or take a drubbing. Heedless that a euro might 

 bo effected in a very short time, with very little 

 trouble, the cracked teats are lelt to get well as 

 they may. Now, "Old Kick" is a very high 

 strung cow, and full of mettle, and will not slanil 

 such treatment. She kicks and runs occasional- 

 ly, and occasionally L'ets a flogging to pay for it. 

 However, she continues to kick, because she is 

 hurt, when milked, injtil the habit of kicking be- 

 comesakind of fecond nature to her, and then look 

 out fur trouble afterwards. The milker commen- 

 ces milking her, she chews her cud, looks good 

 natured, and everything appears as though it vvas 

 to be done decently and in order. But the scene 

 soon changes, for "Old Kick," not liking some 

 movement, introduces her hoof against the side of 

 the i>ail, (if not into it,) and turns it topsy-turvey, 

 the pail rattling and the milk flying. " Old Kick" 

 now expects a flogging, so off she starts full sail. 

 The provoked and angry milker pursues her with 

 the first clidi or stool he can get hold of, and now 

 for a chase. Round the yard they go at full speed, 

 (which frequently starts the other cows, and ovei- 

 goes another pail of milk,) until "Old Kick" is 

 overtaken, and then the chib or stool is set in mo- 

 tion upon her sides, the sound of which is not un- 

 like the sound of the thresher's flail, which makes 

 the wood resound with its echo. "Old Kick " is 

 now cornered up, and has to take it, (showing her 

 good will by kicking now and then, and shaking 

 her head,) till the milker considers her thorough- 

 ly subdued, and then commences again to milk. 

 Ten chances to one if he has not to go through 

 with another performance like the one just men- 

 tioned, before "Old Kick " is set at liberty until 

 the time for another milking. Now the right way 

 would have prevented all this trouble, and "Old 

 Kick " would have remained as she used to be, 

 not the worst of cows. The first step would have 

 been to cured her teats, which is very readily done 

 by washing them with cold water, and then apply- 

 ing a little K»!secrf oil, for a few niilkings, — (an 

 eftectnal cure.) 



I had the misfortune to be the milker of a cow, 

 (•'Old Kick" was hername) for two or three years, ,| 

 which had been trained as above mentioned. She 

 was as bad as bad could be, as split nails sod sorp 

 shins would at tiie time have testified. She was 

 for the two first seasons gentle and kind, and was 

 considered a very excellent cow. She was then 

 sold, and i)robably by bad management, either by 

 having sore teats or some other cause, became as 

 I have stated, as bad as bad eould be. The pur- 

 chaser was accordingly dissatisfied with his bar- 

 gain, and the seller not knowing the reason, and 

 considering her well worth the money paid for her, 

 gave the man his money and again took the cow;. 

 Many has been the frolic I have had with her, for 

 hardly a night or morning passed without a chase, 

 and nothing short of a good threshing would in- 

 duce her to stand still and be milked. At length 

 I invented a plan which ended the flogging busi- 

 ness, and " Old Kick " was completely under my 

 control. 1 make a small pen and drove her into 

 it, having prepared a strap with a buckle at one 

 end, and buckled it round her hind legs. I then 

 et her manoeuvre to her own satisfiiction, and 

 finding she was fast, she accordingly gave up, and 

 1 inilked her without eveii making one attempt to 

 kick. She soon became willing for me to ouckle 

 the strap without choice of [>lace, and I had no 

 more trouble afterwards, otherwise than keeping 



a strap in readiness. I tried several limes to milk 

 her without fastening her legs, but she koi>ii con- 

 vinced me shi; had not forgotten her old pranks. 

 I used the strap two years ; she vvas then fatteneS 

 and S()!d to the butcher, and thus ended the life 

 of "Old Kick." 



To me no [)nrt of the farmer's stock looks more 

 grand and beautiful, as well as lucrative, than a 

 number of sleek, handsome and stalely cows, 

 yarded f(jr llic pur| ose of milking. See thetri ! 

 How majestic they look ! Their large and hand- 

 some bags, furnished with clean and nicely shaped 

 handles, and then to draw an overflowing J)ail of 

 the white and foaming liquid. What can be more 

 delightful. 



In my opinion, farmers in general do not make 

 it sufficiently their interest in the selection of their 

 stock, es[)ecially those for the dairy. In the first 

 place, the best breed should he obtained, and then 

 a selection should be made of such as are kind 

 and gentle, with another very necessary appen- 

 dage, viz : sizeable teats. We have a young cow 

 at the present time, and, to speak within bounds, 

 I should not think her teats exceeded one inch and 

 a half ill length. The other day I had occasion 

 to milk an old ewe, which had lost her lamb, and 

 am confident her teats were full as long, and I 

 think for choice I had rather milk her! Now I 

 shouhl charge in the course of a season to milk 

 such a cow the extra time, as well as trouble and 

 perplexity taken into consideration, full as much 

 as the butter or cheese made from the milk woulil 

 be worth. The better way I think would be, if 

 necessary, to buy a cow furnished with better'teats, 

 (even upon credit,) and let the calf run with the 

 former until old enough to wean, and then fit her 

 for market. Once more, and I conclude. As it is 

 a very easy thing to spoil young cows, even by a 

 few niilkings at first by bad management, due care 

 should be taken, and the best method pursued. 

 We have found it the most advisable in breaking 

 heifers, to make a small yard and drive them into 

 it, when milked, for a short time at first. If they 

 show any disposition to be obstinate or sulky, the 

 better way is to coax them and treat them gently ; 

 they will soon yield, and you will gain the affec- 

 tions, and be blessed with good and gentle cows. 

 — Genesei.Fm: 



1'resf.rvation of wood from dry rot. — It 

 is stated us the result of observations made in the 

 German mines, that piue wood which has been 

 exposed to the action of water under pressure, is 

 not subject to the dry rot, A stick of |)ine wood, 

 placed in water in an iron pipe, absorbed in thirty- 

 six days, 27 per cent, of water. Subsequent ex. 

 posure for thirteen days, in a warm room evapo- 

 rated 1.5 1-2 parts of the water. 



A similar slick of wood, exposed for the same 

 time, but pressed at intervals, by a force of nearly 

 fifty atmospheres, absorbed 118 per cent of water. 

 Of this, when the wood was exposed as above 

 stated for the other piece of timber, there evapo- 

 rated 21 parts. 



The wood was not sensibly increased in bulk 

 by the absorption of the water. The bulk of the 

 water absorbed in the second experiment liaving 

 been nearly one thirtyninth that of the wood. — 

 Annates des Mines. 



The Hessian Fly is committing ravages with 

 young corn near Montreal, L. C. 



