94 
FACTS IN FARMING. NO. 3. 
tion but a very few hours ;, for, in two days, if the 
temperature be 60° F., or more, putrefaction com- 
mences, and germination is weakened or entirely 
destroyed. 
M. Vogel, of Munich, has published an account 
of an extended course of experiments on this sub- 
ject : and they fully confirm the opinion that salts, 
innoxious when the plant is of a robust and ad- 
vanced growth, are fatal to it at the time of germi- 
n tion. 
When healthy seeds are moistened with water 
and exposed in a suitable temperature to atmos- 
pheric air, they absorb the oxygen only; and 
hence they will frequently germinate if soaked in 
an aqueous solution of chlorine — a gas that has the 
power of attracting hydrogen from w T ater, and 
others of its compounds, and thereby releasing the 
oxygen, which is then absorbed by the seeds, and 
their germinating process increased. This fact has 
been proved by Baron Humboldt and others, as in 
the case of cress seeds, (pepper grass.) which, under 
ordinary circumstances, require several days to 
complete the process, but on the application of oxy- 
genated muriatic acid gas, they were found to ger- 
minate in the period of three to six hours! 
The most elligible mode, perhaps, of applying 
the chlorine is, to mix a table-spoonful of muriatic 
acid with about the same quantity of black oxide 
of manganese and half a pint of water. After 
allowing the mixture to remain two or three hours, 
the seed is to be immersed in the liquid for two or 
three hours more, and then sown. 
Another very safe and economical steep for gar- 
den and other seeds, consists of a solution of one 
fourth of an ounce of chloride of lime to one gal- 
lon of water, in which the seeds should be allowed 
to soak for four hours, and then be sown the ordi- 
nary way. 
Manuring seeds by steeping them in a solution 
of guano and water, and rolling them in mixtures 
of blood and lime, &c, has within a few years 
been practised with some success ; at all events, it 
is thought to destroy rust and prevent the depreda- 
tion of insects and birds. 
(c) Liquid manures, diluted to the proper degree 
of strength, may be applied beneficially to all kinds 
of crops, particularly to the squash and cucumber 
tribes; it is very doubtful, however, at the present 
prices of land and labor in the United States, whether 
they can be economically employed in manuring 
wheat, Indian corn, and other field crops, from the 
cost of their preparation, application, &c. 
(d) The operation of covering wheat and other 
young plants with straw, pine leaves, or other 
fibrous matter is known at present under the name 
of " Gurneyism," the benefits and description of 
which may be found at p. 203, of our fifth volume. 
Thus far, this system has not been much adopted 
in this country, being generally regarded as a 
visionary theory. 
(e) It is now generally conceded, that the roots, 
stalks, straw, leaves, seeds, &c, of plants, or the 
ashes of the same, (those of Indian corn of course 
included.) when restored to the soil in which they 
have been grown, will tend most essentially to the 
production of the same or other similar crops. 
(/) As a general rule, all trees, shrubs, and 
plants may be grafted on nearly kindred stocks ; 
that is, those belonging to the same natural family, 
having sap vessels similar and of appropriate cali- 
bre, their proper sap and juices similar, and flowing 
at the same periods of the year. Thus, some spe- 
cies may be grafted, not only on every other species 
of the same genus, but on every other species be- 
longing to the same natural family ; as, for instance, 
the common hawthorn may be united with any of 
its congeners, as well as with the quince, the pear, 
the plum, and the mountain ash. Again, other spe- 
cies, that will not unite by grafting to all the spe- 
cies of their own genus, such as the common pear, 
which will not readily graft on the apple, will yet 
unite with the quince, the medlar, the thorn, and 
the mountain ash. The scions of some pears, how- 
ever, can hardly be made to unite with a quince 
stock ; but if they be grafted upon a young pear 
shoot, and afterwards inserted in quince stocks, 
they grow as freely as when inserted in the stocks 
of pears. The European larch will unite with the 
Scottish fir, and the Norway spruce with the Hi- 
malayan spruce fir*? but oaks, in general, must be 
grafted on stocks of their own or nearly allied spe- 
cies. Another exception to the above-named rule 
is, that plants having milky sap will not unite with 
such as have watery sap ; and, indeed, will not 
unite with other plants at all. Hence the Norway 
maple cannot be grafted on any other species of 
the genus. 
As the peach succeeds more readily by budding 
than by grafts, and is strengthened by being 
worked on more robust stocks, we think the sug- 
gestion made by our correspondent a good one, and 
recommend that the experiment be tried of budding 
that fruit upon small thrifty stocks of the mountain 
plum. 
(g) In the northern parts of the United States, 
the European vine has been grafted on Isabella 
stocks, and grew most luxuriantly until the leaves 
were killed by frost ; but the wood of the young 
shoots did not sufficiently mature to withstand our 
winter's cold. At present, we know of no reason 
why the experiment would not succeed in sheltered 
situations in the middle states, as well as in locali- 
ties further south. 
FACTS IN FARMING, No. 3. 
Feeding Milch Cows in Winter. — On the 25th of 
December, 1847, 1 commenced an experiment with 
eight cows, dividing them into two lots, four in 
each, and weighed the milk of each lot for six days. 
Lot No. 1. averaged 18 lbs. of milk to each cow 
per day, and Lot No. 2. 17 lbs. each. 
On the 31st of December, of the same year, I 
commenced feeding Lot No. 1. with four quarts of 
dry Indian meal to each cow per day, for six days, 
which resulted in no change as to the quantity of 
milk. I then increased their feed to eight quarts of 
Indian meal per day, for six days more, at the end 
of which, the average yield of each cow was only 
16 lbs. of milk. Lot No. 2. were fed at the same 
time as Lot No. 1. with the same quantities of 
scalded Indian meal, made into a slop, which ended 
in the same result. 
Feeling convinced that Indian corn would not 
pay for the production of milk, I commenced feed- 
ing Lot No. 1. with half a bushel of ruta-bagas per 
day to each cow. In two days, the four cows in- 
