1862. 



. if; > 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEK. 



137 



Cultivating Plants when the Dew is On. 



At least fifteen years ago, I noticed a plot of 

 cabbages, of which the large firm heads 1 conld 

 not ascount for from anything apparent in the 

 eoil. On asking the owner how he made from 

 Buch a soil so fine and uniform a crop, I found 

 his only secret was that "he hoed them while 

 the dew was on." He thought that in this way 

 he watered them, but of course the good resulted 

 more from the ammonia than the moisture of the 

 dew. '^ Z^-. 



I adopted the practice the following year, and 

 with the resnlt was so well satisfied, that I have 

 since continued and recommended it to others. 

 In my " Gardening for the South," published two 

 years since, you will find (page 163) "tliey (the 

 cabbage tribe,) especially like to have the soil 

 about them, thoroughly worked while the dew 

 is on them. There will be a very great diflFerence 

 in the growth of two plots of cabbages, treated 

 in other respects alike, one of which shall be 

 hoed at sunrise and the other at midday ; the 

 growth of the former will surprisingly exceed 

 that of the latter." 



A story in point sometime since went the 

 rounds of the agricultural press, of which the 

 substance follows : A small plot of ground was 

 divided equally between the hired lad of a farmer 

 and his son, the proceeds of its culture to be 

 their own. They planted it with corn, and a bet 

 was made by them as to which should make the 

 best crop. At harvest the son came out some 

 quarts behind. He conl i not understand the 

 reason, as he had hoed his twice a week until 

 laid by, while he had not seen the hired lad cul- 

 tivate his plot at all, and yet he had gained the 

 wager. It turned out the winner's crop had 

 been hoed quite as frequently, but before his 

 rival was up in the morning. Providence, it 

 seems, follows the hoe of the early riser with a 

 special and increased reward. 



But there are exceptions. Cultivating while 

 the dew is on, manifestly benefits such gross fee» 

 ders as cabbage and corn, but there are plants 

 very impatient of being disturbed while wet. 

 The common garden snap and running beans are 

 examples ; and if worked while wet, even with 

 dew, the pores of the leaves seem to become 

 stopped, and the whole plant is apt to rust and 

 become greatly injured. Whether the Lima 

 beans and other legumas are as impatient of being 

 hoed in the dew, I have not ascertained. Exper- 

 iments should, however, be tried the coming 

 season on all ho&d crops. — Cor. Country Gent. 



-*»*- 



Quantity of Milk for a Pound of Butter. 



Much difference of opinion is entertained in rela- 

 tion to the quantity of milk required to make a 

 poannd of butter. It is true that there is a very 

 great difTerenoe in the quality of milk from dif- 

 ferent cows. The feed, also, has much influence 

 upon the richness of the milk. The milk of the 

 AJdemey cow will give much more butter from a 

 given quantity of milk, than any other breed with 

 which we are familiar — but it is very desirable 

 to ascertain, as far as practicable, what is the 



fair average of dairies, composed of the dairy 

 cows of this country, and treated as our best 

 dairy cows are by good dairymen. 



We requested a dairyman in this State, John 

 S. Holbert, of Chemung, to make the experiment 

 and furnish us with the resnlt. He has done so 

 and his statement will be found annexed. From 

 this it will be seen that the fair average of dairy, 

 taking the season through, is fourteen quarts of 

 milk for a pound of but'er. We have made ex- 

 tensive inquiries since this statement was furn- 

 ished, and the general impression of dairymen, 

 in our own and adjoining States, corresponds 

 with that of Mr. Holbert. 



It will be seen in the report which we give of 

 Mr. T. Horsfall, of England, on the management 

 of dairy cattle, that the same average is found 

 in Mecklenburg, Prussia, Holland and Great 

 Britain. 



It is very important that our dairymen should 

 make careful trial of different varieties of feed, 

 testing the qualities of each, and thu); ascertain 

 what is most beneficial, in addition to the ordi- 

 nary pastures of the farm. Indian corn for soil- 

 ing has been very successfully used in this State 

 for dairy cattle — and in the serere drouth of 

 1854, those of our dairymen who had this 

 resource, were enabled to make their full com- 

 plement of butter, while others suffered a very 

 great reduction in their annual produce. The 

 Chinese sugar cane is recommended as favorable 

 for this purpose, and its extensive cu'ture during 

 the approaching season, will doubtless test its 

 value. The Stowell Eevergreen corn has proved 

 the most valuable variety for soiling that we have 

 ever known in this State. We hope that our 

 dairymen will give attention to the subject, and 

 communicate to the society the results of the 

 trials which may be made, with any vfuriety of 

 com for soiling. ' TrC 



JOSHUA S. HOLBEBT's STATEMENT, i^ >*** 



B. p. Johnson, Esq : In order to ascertain the 

 quantity |of milk necessary to make a pound of 

 butter, I have measured several churnings of 

 milk, and then weighed the butter, and it takes 

 now fifteen%qnarts of milk to make one pound of 

 butter. I think, to take the whole time of milk- 

 ing for the year, it will take fuurteen quarts. 

 My father, John Holbert, thinks it will take be- 

 tween thirteen end fourteen. Last fall, while 

 feeding pumpkins, about nine quarts made a 

 pound. Joseph. S Holbbbt. 



{Trans. N". T. State Ag. Society.) 



9^.the eulogies of critics without taste or 

 judgment are the natural rewards of authors 

 without feeling or genius. 



Sf^If a bear were to go into a linen draper's 

 shop, what would he wont ? He would want 

 muzzlin*. 



—»- 



Little drops of rain brighten the meadolrg 

 and little acts of kindness brighten the world. 



