vol.. XV. KO- 51. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL 



405 



2 oz. salt petre, and one pint Plaster Paris to the 

 biislicl. The steep should he blood warm when 

 the wheat is put in. The wheat should he put in 

 slowly, and all li),'ht grains and foul seeds care- 

 fully skimmed off. When taken out, put in on a 

 floor to drain, and sift on one pint of air-slacked 

 lime to the bushel, and rake it in — after it has 

 lain in this manner six hours, sift on Plaster of 

 Paris, (what we farmers call rolling the wheat in 

 Plaster) and sow it inunedialely. 



In this manner I have raised wheat free from 

 smut, that weighed more that CO lbs. to the bush- 

 el, and more than 30 bushels to the acre. 



I should advise yon to take lauds of fine, light, 

 rich loam, that inclines to the south, or a little 

 rolling, that the water may run off the lands. If 

 your land should heave or crack badly with the 

 frost, roll it in the spring with a suitable toiler. 



John Watson. 



East Windsor, (Ct.) 1S37. 



j\/'ote. We are happy to receive the hbove 



communication from so experienced and enter- 

 prising an agriculturist as Mr Watson. We think 

 Ids plan if pursued in this State, would ensure 

 success. The top dressiug recojnmended to be 

 spread on in the fall, will undoubtedly be good 

 protection during the winter. It is astonishing 

 how small a quantity of litter will protect the 

 roots, &c. from winter or spring frosts. We raise 

 winter rye here with tolerable success, and why 

 cati we not manage in some way to ensure as good 

 success with wiufr wheat ? Ed. 



from the soil than by most other crops. I think 

 no one ought to object to having a large crop, 

 because it takes more from the soil than an 

 inferior one ; but it should be known that Indian 

 corn will not grow well the next year after a arge 

 rop of ruta baga, as each require from the soil 

 similar qualities. 



More hereafter, in relation to Ruta IJaga, from 



A. B. 



N. B. Sow from the first to the middle of June. 

 — Me. Far. 



aUESTlOXS AKD AKSWERS. 



What is the average crop of Ruta Baga to the 

 acre on laud well manured and taken care of, in 



Maine ? 



Answer. Six buirlred bushels — each bushel 



weighing 64 pounds, after being well cleared of 

 tops" dirt, and small roots. Much greater crops 

 have often been produced ; say from one to two 

 thousand bushels to the acre, or at that rate on 

 smaller lots. 



What are they worth, ton for ton, or pound for 

 pound, for stock, compared with good English 

 bay, corn, potatoes, api)les, &c. ? 



A. When properly fed out, they may save hay, 

 pound for pound ; because if kept in any consid- 

 erable quantities, stock may be kept in good con- 

 dition, if poor hay, or even straw be added. — 

 They 'are worth more than potatoes in equal 

 weight ; and as much as apples, and less liable to 

 decay. To keep a creature in decent flesh, with 

 hay, 5 bushels of Ruta Baga are equal to a hiishel 



of meal. 



What kind of stock is it best and most profita- 

 ble to feed them to ? 



A. All kinds: horses and swine not excepted. 

 If they refuse them at first, let them become hun- 

 <jry, and they will soon cat them well. 1 have 

 wintered swine on them, in o raw state. They 

 are worth for them certainly as much as potatoes 

 and are inost excellent for sheep. 



What is the cost to raise them, per bushel com- 

 pared with potatoes ? 



A. Much less : as they yield much more on a 

 given quantity of land ; their seed and planting 

 cost less; their hoeing more; and their leaves pay 

 the harvesting. 



Are they not more exhausting to the land than 

 potatoes, or most other crops ? 



A. They are : as much more weight is taken 



The right way. — It is staled thrt the wheat 

 sowed in some towns in this State the present 

 year, actually amounts to more than was raised 

 last year. And we are not inclined to doubt the 

 correctness of the assertion, when wcsee and hear 

 such particidars as are given below. 



The Eastern Republican .states that within its 

 knowledge, many individuals have "got in " from 

 thirty to sevcMilyfive bushels each. The Adverti- 

 ser says, " We understand one man in Water- 

 vil!e, iias sown this season, over one liimdred 

 bushels of wheal, and another somewhere iqi riv- 

 er, one hundred ami fifty bushels." This appears 

 to be a rather large amoimt ; but we have been 

 informed by several in whose statements we have 

 the most implicit faith, that many farmers on the 

 feandy river, have sown nearly one huudreii bush- 

 els each, a great port on of it on burnt ground. — 

 We are also informed that the i)rice of wheat on 

 Sandy river, has been lower the past season, by 

 retail, than the New York prices at wholesale. 



If the crop should be but fair, and the prospect 

 is encouraging, the amount of wheat raised this 

 season, will be very great, and the same may be 

 said of all other grain, &c., for the huge paws of 

 the farmers have not been idle. We joyfully an- 

 ticipate that the State Treasiu-y will have to shell 

 out a pretty considerable lot of bounty money to 

 pay for this summer's work. Farmers, this is 

 better than totuig logs on speculation — it is the 

 right way. "God will help those who try to hel[) 

 themselves." — Portland .Yews Letter. 



mers have but little grain to sell, and not much 

 money, in these hard times, to put out at inter- 

 est. 



Take another case, however— that of the far- 

 mer who ujakes his farm his pride, who means to 

 show his labor and his sxill upon every acre, and 

 mark the difterence! The land pays treble val- 

 ue upon its surface for all that has been bestowed 

 u|ion it. The owner enriches the soil, and the 

 soil in retm-n enriches its owner. 



Every farmer, to make his farm a source of 

 profit, should njake it a source of pride. What- 

 ever portion of the soil is cullivaled, should be 

 well cultivated. The point should be, not to have 

 many acres, but rich acres. The means whereby 

 husbandry is improved and facilitated, sboidd be 

 studied and employed. By such careful atten- 

 tion, a continual ple.^sure will be found in agri- 

 cultural pursuits, which will heighten the other re- 

 wards of good tillage. — L. I. Star. 



The fruits of good tfllage. — We remember 

 to have read somewhere, of an old gentleman who 

 owned a large vineyard. Besides this farm, he 

 was blessed with two daughters. On the mar- 

 riage of the eldest, he portioned her off with one 

 third of his farm, and behold the remaining acres 

 produced quite as much fruit and wine as before. 

 Soon after, he married his youngest daughter, and 

 gave her an equal dowry n hh the first, and still 

 the remaining third of his soil yielded as njuch as 

 his entire original plantation. Good farmers will 

 see no mystery in this. The moral of the story 

 is, that as his farm became smaller, he cultivated 

 it more, and the same amount of labor upon a few 

 acres, will make them produce the fruit of many. 

 There is a great difference between tillage and 

 good tillage. Some fanners — no, some earth- 

 scrapers, merely scratch up the soil, and after 

 dropping their seed haphazard, trust to the chance 

 of the season. It is not to be wondered at, that 

 such tan^perers have to scratch hard for a living. 

 We have heard many complain that large farms 

 did not pay the expense of their cidtivation — that 

 manure was loo expensive to be used. The earth 

 was, therefore, lazily scratched up sufficiently to 

 destroy the face of the soil, and the seed thrown 

 away upon it. We need not say that such far- 



R. M. Sherman's Banking Bill. — The bill 

 now before a Committee of the Legislamre of 

 Connecticut, for the greater security of moniert 

 institutions, is intended, as far as practicable, to 

 render the banks of the State, safe and useful.— 

 There are five objects which it is designed to ac 

 complish. 



1. To render the paper currency as safe as gold. 



and silver. 



2. To make the stockholders safe. 



3. To accommodate all classes of borrowers, 

 as extensively as any provident business may re- 

 quire. 



4. To secure to the l)ank just profits. 



5. To guard against over-trading and extrava- 

 gant speculation by the aid of banks. 



To accomplish these desiiable ends, the bdl 

 provides for a competent number of commission- 

 ers not exceeding one in each county, to one of 

 whom tlu ilnlies in regard to each bank, as spec- 

 ified in the act, shall be confided. It next pro- 

 vides, tnat after a certain day, no bank shall is- 

 sue any bills as a currency, unless they are secur- 

 ed by a bond and mortgage delivered to and held 

 by the commissioner ; the mortgage to be in v^l- 

 ue double the amount of the bills secured. On 

 receiving this security, the conmiissioner is to en- 

 dorse on the back of each bill so secured, these 

 words:— "Secured by Mortgage. Attest, A. B., 

 Bank Comnussioner." 



The Western Railroad.— We are happy lo 

 learn that the work of the Western Railroad is 

 prosecuted with vigor. The Springfield Gazelle 



'"''^""c^at numbers of Railroad contractors have 

 within a short time past, been in this towri, com- 

 iu.r from different parts of the country, for the 

 niupose of obtaining contr.icts on the W. Rf<^om\ 

 And we learn that all the sections of the Railroad 

 east of Connecticut River, except two, are already 

 placed under contract, and the work will very soon 

 be commenced and vigorously prosecuted. 1 he 

 location of the road in this town, across the mead- 

 ows and Main street to the river, an.l of the freight 

 and passenger Depots has not yet been definitely 

 established. The Directors are to meet here next 

 Tuesday, (June 13th,) for the purpose of setthng 



that point. ^ 



Clean a brass kettle before using it for cooking 

 with salt and vinegar. 



