130 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
Elfo^v to Manage a Farsaa of Seven 
Acres. — A subscriber of the American Agriculturist, in 
Pennsylvania, who has hitherto been a mechanic, has 
bought seven acres of land that have been in grass and 
not plowed for 20 years. lie wants to raise small fruits, 
to keep two cows, arid proposes to raise cabbages, etc., to 
feud them on. He has had "no experience in working 
the soil, and has to depend on books and papers for in- 
formation.' 1 We would not discourage him, but he 
must not expect to obtain large crops the first season. 
His first aim should be to get the land underd rained, 
clean and rich. Buy clover hay and bran for the cows. 
This will make good milk and rich manure. Compost 
this manure and any other material than can be obtained, 
with bone-dust. In the meantime break up a portion of 
the grass land, and plow it and work it two or three 
times, and next spring put on the manure at the rate of 
20 tons per acre, and plow it in and harrow thoroughly. 
The land will then be ready for anything. For cabbages 
use about 300 lbs. of superphosphate to the acre. Keep 
the- land constantly stirred, and a good crop may be ex- 
pected. The probabilities arc, however, that the cab- 
bages will be worth more to sell than to feed out. If so, 
sell them and buy clover hay, bran, oil-cake, etc., for the 
cows. It must bo your constant aim to make rich ma- 
nure. Ton can do nothing on a small farm without it. 
"With it, and clean culture, you can do everything. 
Sap Spouts. — "M.," Cambridge, O., saj-s : 
""We have been interested in Ml'. Chamberlain's articles 
on sugar making, published iu the Agriculturist, but 
think him behind the timssin using the wooden spout, 
though I see he is going to try the mctalic ones. He can 
get all the wooden ones he wants among the farmers here, 
for carrying them off. "We use the tin ones here almost 
exclusively. They are not so liable to sour, the sap all 
running out. Sap will start quicker and trees keep fresh 
longer. Many do not cut the trees over, the entire sea- 
son. Besides, they arc not bulky, only 2J4 inches in 
leagth, and one can carry cnowgh to tap a large bush in a 
common pail. They have worked their way against strong 
prejudice, until now nearly all iu this section use them. 11 
Essex Pigs. 
The Essex is the largest of the small breed of pigs- 
larger than the small Yorkshire, or Suffolk, or small 
Berkshire. It is, iu fact, what is now known in England 
as a medium or middle breed. At twelve or fourteen 
months old, we have had them dress over 400 lbs. They 
are entirely black, but when dressed are as white as the 
whitest. Their flesh is remarkably firm, aud the lard of 
the best quality. They have small bones, small upright 
cars, short snout, good cheek aud shoulders, square 
bodies, short legs, and capital hams. They are remark- 
ably compact, aud appear much smaller than they really 
are. They arc the quietest and most gentle of all pigs ; 
are good breeders, and mothers. But their crowning 
excellence is their purity of breed— aud, as a conse- 
quence, they impress their good qualities with great force 
on any common sows with which they may be crossed. 
They will improve any breed with which they are 
crossed. We have crossed them with the large Berk- 
shires, with perhaps a slight reduction in size, but with 
a marked improvement in form, fattening qualities and 
early maturity. Crossed with a large, coarse, Chester 
"White sow, we get pigs either all black or black-and- 
white. For large, common pigs to be kept until they 
are a year or eighteen months old, this cross is admira- 
ble. For smaller pigs, with less bone and offal, and that 
will fat at nine months or a year old, another cross with 
the Essex is desirable. A third cross would give pigs 
almost as fine-boned as the pure Essex. Such pigs can 
be fattened at four or five months old, and afford the 
choicest and most delicate of fresh pork— an article as 
yet almost unknown iu our general markets, but which, 
when once known, is sure to command good prices. 
From the smallness of offal and exceedingly quiet dis- 
position, the Essex arc easy keepers. They are good 
graziers. "We know of no breed superior to them in this 
respect. With the run of a good clover pasture, well- 
wintered grade or thorough-bred Essex pigs will keep 
iu fine growing condition all summer, and if allowed in 
such a pasture, two or three ears of corn each per day, 
with access to fresh water, will grow very rapidly, aud 
be; at all times ready for the bntcher. This is the cheap- 
est way of making pork. For the mere purpose of mak- 
ing pork we would not recommend the thorough-bred 
Essex. They are too fine and delicate. Their great value 
consists iu their capacity of improving any of the large, 
coarse breeds, or iu fact, any kind of common pigs. For 
this purpose they must be hx^dpure. "What a farmer needs 
to improve his stock is tJu)rougli-bred males. And in pigs 
there is no breed more thoroughly established than the 
Essex. Engravings of some excellent specimens of this 
breed arc given upon the first page of this number. 
Tobacco Culture. 
There is no crop that can be raised upon the farm with 
only farm hands and appliances that is more profitable 
than tobacco. Every year the knowledge of the great 
profits gained by experienced cultivators leads novices to 
attempt aud fail. Every year there are many farmers who 
over-estimate their ability to take care of the crop they 
prepare for and plant, aud hence meet with loss. No 
inexperienced person should attempt to raise a large 
patch, and whoever raises it should regard the crop sec- 
ond to none, but always attend to it, even if others suf- 
fer. A good crop is 2,009 lbs. per acre ; this, at 25c. per 
lb., would bring in $500 per acre. "Were §200 per acre 
sacredly applied to the purchase of manure, and the to- 
bacco cultivated two, and never more than three years on 
the same ground, and made to take its place in a regular 
rotation, we have no doubt this exhausting and labor- 
taxing crop would be a very beneficial one to both 
farms and purses in sections favorable to its growth. 
Tobacco Seed-Seds. — TIig preparation of the 
seed-bed should be commenced as early as the frost is out 
of the ground. A warm spot with a southern exposure, 
often with a fence or building upon the north, is selected, 
the soil beiug a fine, deep, garden loam, rich and mellow. 
One square rod of seed-bed furnishes, under almost any 
circumstances, many more than enough plants for an 
acre. A heavy coating of well rotted hog-pen or other 
manure is applied and forked under, leaving a rough sur- 
face; npou this straw and brush, to the depth of six inches 
or so, trro- spread and set on fire, provided the land is not 
dangerously near some building. This kills the weed- 
seeds to the depth of about three inches, and leaves a coat- 
ing of ashes upon the surface, which may then be raked 
smooth, with a gentle slope to the south. If the nights 
are frosty and the weather unfavorable, the ground may 
be left rough awhile, and it is often worth while to apply 
a dressing of guano or a superphosphate before finishing 
off the bed. The best way to apply guano is in solution, 
and barn-yard liquor is equally good. Liquid manure may 
be put on very strong before or when the seeds are sown, 
but not after tbey germinate. As soon as the soil is 
warm, roll the bed and rake it over. Mix one table-spoon- 
ful of seed with a quart of fine sifted soil for each rod, 
rubbing the whole through the hands, and sifting it, again 
and again ; divide it in two or three parts, and sow each 
over the whole bed broadcast, and then roll it, or pat it 
over with a board or a snow shovel. If the weather is warm 
and dry, water it.with a sprinkler. The seeds start slowly 
and irrcgularl}*, and may be encouraged by occasional 
watering with dilute manure water. The young plants are 
often attacked by a little black fly, which is driven off by 
occasionally sifting wood-ashes lightly over them. The 
best seed for the Northern States is doubtless that of the 
Connecticut Seed-leaf variety. Before the seeds comenp, 
all weeds that show themselves should be pulled. A bed 4 
feet wide and 66 feet long contains one square rod of 
laud. If several acres are to be planted to tobacco, it 
would be well, perhaps, to calculate that three beds would 
supply plenty of plants for four or five acres, and sow 
them at intervals of a week apart, that one or the other 
might escape unfavorable vicissitudes of weather. 
Tiic Relations of Tobacco to tlie Soil.— 
The repeated analyses of tobacco, and of the grains of 
wheat, corn aud other crops, demonstrate that iu culti- 
vating it for market we remove as much of the constitu- 
ents of the soil with one good crop, as would be removed 
by a dozen or fifteen crops of our ordinary grains. As an 
offset to this fact we have another, viz: The actual 
amount of manure added to the soil to insure a fine crop 
of tobacco is not more than twice as much as would be 
required to produce first-rate crops of wheat or corn; and 
with this application, good crops of " the weed" are taken 
year after year. Two things are certain— 1st. The manure 
supplies directly but a portion of the constituents of the 
tobacco ash ; 2d. Those which arc lacking are snpplied 
by the soil, which is acted upon by the manure, by water, 
by the air aud by tillage, by all of which, these anti-con- 
stituents are brotfght into an available condition. "When 
the soil ceases to yield those constituents (particularly 
potash) which ordinary manure does not supply insuffi- 
cient quantity, the tobacco crop will inevitably fall off. 
In some soils this comes after a few years ; but by jndi- 
cious rest and cropping with other plants, and proper ma- 
nuring, tobacco culture will again be profitable. 
Wliat Crops Slaould Follow Tobacco ?— 
t: L. A. C. " — Tobacco leaves the land in admirable condi- 
tion for a crop of wheat, to be followed by grass, which 
will do well for several years. Almost any of our com- 
mon crops will do well after tobacco. Hoots find potash 
enough. Potatoes, if planted on good tobacco land, which 
has not been over-cropped, even two years in suc- 
cession, will usually indicate no lack of this substance, 
though peculiarly sensitive to its absence. Ruta-bagas 
(Swedes) are favored by the amouut of the phosphates 
left as a residuum in old tobacco laud, and these, it is 
well known, arc peculiarly advantageous to all the turnip 
family. It is for the same reason that cabbages arc fre- 
quently cultivated after tobacco with good success. 
Norway sicid. other Oats. — Some time 
ago we asked for the experience of our readers who had 
tried the Norway oats. We condense the statements re- 
ceived, but neither color nor qualify them : 
Luther Bailey. Jewctt, X. T. — Sowed 1 bushel 6 quarts ; 
harvested 60 bushels, and thinks he can raise 100 bushels. 
John Baxter, New Lisbon, N. Y. — Bought of Jones & 
Clark half a bushel, which cost $S: "found them the 
most disgracefully, dirty seed ever vended." Sowed on the 
best land he had, and they turned out to be ^Horsemane" 
oats, which he could have bought for 60c. per bu. at home. 
John J. Horton, of White Plains. N. Y.— Sowed late 
and on inferior land; they grew well, 5 feet high, with 
heavy heads ; were the best he ever raised. After they 
were ripe they were not lodged by two heavy storms. 
ClarkL. Horton, Covcntryvillc, N.T. — Sowed 15 lbs.; 
harvested 19 bushels by measure (23 by weight), weighed 
nearly 39 lbs. per bushel; grew to 5 or 6 feet high ; land 
rich. A terrific storm prostrated them. 
C. C. Phelps, Vernon, N. Y— Seed of Hcffron ; oats 
stood 5 to 6 feet high; did uot lodge ; were cut bywiro 
worms ; yielded S4 bushels per acre. 
Addison Ely, Elizabethtown, Pa. — Seed, from Jones & 
Clark, very light; sowed on good ground; yield, very poor. 
John K. Busteed, Union, N. Y, — Tried Surprise, Nor- 
way, "White Norway and Swedish, and is greatly in favor 
of the Surprise forcarliness and weight per bushel. 
Win. M. Blakewell, no Post-Officc. probably in Pennsyl 
vania — Sowed 1 bushel black oats, which weighed 42 lbs. ; 
sowed on fair land with 175 lbs. of gunno ; harvested 1G 
bushels weighing 2S lbs. per bn. The color changed from 
black to gray-and-white ; greatly inferior to common oats. 
John T. Bramhall, Falls Church, Ya.— Sowed, rather 
late, -i quarts clean seed, which weighed 37 lbs. to the 
bushel ; harvested 33-4 bushels weighing 25l« lbs. per bu.; 
grew tall, and lodged when nearly ripe. Thinks "the Nor- 
way a first-class oat, but not all that was claimed for it." 
Edward J. Ivy, Hampton, Ya. — Bought 1 quart of seed ; 
got 75 qts., and left 5 or 6 in the straw. Says they will 
yield three times as much as any other oat he ever saw. 
James E. Blake, Granville, HI. — Says he never saw 
their equal ; speaks in high terms of the straw as fodder. 
K. F. Brumfield, Kirkmansville, Ky. — Bought 1 quart, 
which came torn open and one-third gone ; sowed on 100 
yards of low land: they were hurt by being flooded and 
by the drought, yet he gathered 3 pecks which he '^would 
not part with for anything in reason." 
J. "W. Speering, Humboldt, Kan. — Sowed 1 bushel and 
2 lbs., and estimates his crop at 100 bushels. Says, "Thoy 
are far superior to any oats I ever saw." 
Wm. "Woodford, Fremont, O. — Writes, he sowed half a 
bushel Norway oats ; grew about 6 feet high, and yielded 
25 bushels— more than twice as much as common oats. 
Philip C. Tnssing, Winchester, O.— Sowed 13,4 lbs. 
the 16th of April, and thrashed 30 bushels from the same. 
Horace J. Taylor, Claridon, O. — Raised from 1 seed 
5,155 seeds on 21 heads ; the largest head had 406 seeds, 
the smallest 134; 4 husks contained 3 seeds each. They 
stood straight, about 5 feet high; straw very large." 
C. J. Dietrich, Grand Rapids, Mich. — "Drilled in, on 
rather heavy soil, 32 lbs. on jnst one acre. A tremendous 
dashing rain packed the ground so hard that not more 
than half the seed came up ; yet from what came up I har- 
vested about 60 bnshels of oats, that weighed 40 lbs. to 
the bushel. Straw, 4 to 5 feet high, large and stiff; none 
lodged ; heads were very long and full. Surprise oats, in 
the same field, with same treatment, yielded only 40 bnsh- 
els to the acre, and weighed 40 lbs. to" the bushel. The 
Surprise is much the prettier oat, but the Norway beats 
them to death in yield." 
H. Lorcntgen riports that G^u. Israel Garrard, of 
Frontenac, Minn., drilled S acres with 1 bushel and % 
peck to the acre — (land, a hlack loamy soil, broke two 
years a_go, and had last year a crop of wheat on it). The 
yield was a little over 960 bushels, making 120 to the acre. 
J. E. Davis, South Bend, Iud. — Purchased 2 quarts of 
Norway oats from Jones & Clark; sowed on light soil; 
yield, 230 lbs., aud S or 10 small sheaves of common oats. 
Daniel Noble, Bell Plain, Wis.— Sowed 1 bu. on a 
piece of poor timothy sod, freshly broken up; yield, 
91 bn. ; weighed 41 lbs. They had been twice broken 
into by hogs, and badly trampled ; grain thick, like 
barley ; one stool had 19 heads with 4,341 grains. 
"WSiitfc Norway. — E. M. Angle, Hcrriek, 
Pa.— Sends a sample. (We know no such oats.) He 
says they yield extremely well, from 120 to 150 bushels 
pcracrc, and weigh 45 to 50 lbs. per bushel. 
"SVSaite Sclioiuen Oats.— Wm. W. Homer, of Mey- 
ers' Mills, Pa., sowed 1 pint of White Schonen Cats, im- 
ported from Hamburg. Yield 4 bushels. He sowed, also, 
1 pint of the Norway oats, and it yielded 2|£ bushels. 
