60 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
A CONCISE TABULAR STATEMENT, SHOWING THE 
LISTA^^CS ESQUIRED EOR PLANTING OR 
SOWING VARIOUS QUANTITIES 
OF V/HEAT GRAIN. 
There are from 16,000 to 20,000 grains of wheat con- 
tained in one quart, or 608,000 to 640,000 in one bushel, 
and 6,272,640 square inches are one statute acre of land. 
Taking the latter number as a rule, it necessarily follows 
that about 10 square inches are thus allowed for each grain, 
admitting all the land to be sown uniformly without fur- 
rows, or 14 grains on each square rod, at one bushel of 
seed for an acre. The following simple tabular form will, 
we trust, go to show the different distances from each 
plant, at this ratio, from more or less quantities of seed, 
which may or may not be thought most proper to be sown 
by any of our agricultural friends. For general sowing 
ena large scale we, ourselves think proper to draw a line 
of distinction, say one bushel or somewhat less for an 
acre, avoiding either extremes; bearing in mind, how- 
ever, the fact and possibility of growing a large amount of 
produce from a small quantity ; and the impossibility of 
reaping an average crop from a full plant of a large quan- 
tity of seed ; 
Per acre. 
3 bash* give a 
a “ “ 
1 " “ 
a pecks “ 
1 “ “ 
1 quart “ 
1 pint “ 
4 ‘ 
Grains 
Grains 
Grains 
Grains 
Inches for 
per acre. 
per rod. 
per yard. 
per ft. 
each gr’n. 
1,920,000. 
..12,000. 
...396 .. 
44 . 
4 
1,280,000. 
.. 8,000. 
...264 .. 
29 
6 
640,000. 
.. 4,000. 
...132 .. 
14 
10 
320,000. 
.. 2,000. 
... 66 .. 
7 
20 
160,000. 
.. 1,000. 
... 33 .. 
31, 
40 
80,00(3. 
.. 500. 
... 16}.. 
..... li 
81 
40,000. 
.. 250. 
... 81.. 
1 . 
162 
20,000. 
.. 125. 
... 4 .. 
0 . 
324 
10,000. 
62. 
... 2 .. 
0 
648 
5,000. 
31. 
... 1 .. 
.... 0 . 
1296 
Har®T & Son, Seed Growers, &c., Waldon, Essex, 
[London ''Farmer’s Magazine." 
*At 20,000 grains in a quart, and 6,272,640 inches in an acre. 
DOURAH CORN, OR EGYPTIAN MILLET- 
Editors Southern Cultivator — I would beg leave 
to ©all the attention of planters to the productiveness and 
value of this grain. When sown early, say in March, it 
will ripen its first crop of ears or heads about the middle 
of July, and continue to put out and ripen heads until 
frost. It is certainly much more productive than Indian 
Corn, and to my taste, for certain purposes, much prefer- 
able. I have cultivated it very much like Indian Corn, 
except that I would advise that 3 or 4 plants should be 
left in the hill. If sown as late as May, it will grow quite 
tall, but ripen only one or two setts of heads. I have 
grown it heretofore only for poultry, for which it is excel- 
lent ; but cattle, horses and hogs appear to be quite fond 
of it, though I have never grown enough of it to give them 
much. Having heard it called Egyptian “Wheat,” I was 
induced to have some ground in our common hand-mill, 
and tried it and was quite agreeably surprised to find 
that the flour made excellent waffles and the grits made 
excellent hominy, though dark and lumpy. Others to whom 
I have recommended it, have continued to use it, finding it 
to their taste. I intend to plant much more of it hereafter, 
and would most strongly recommend its cultivation to 
every planter, feeling quite sure that it will prove fully 
equal to any reasonable expectations. The seed, I sup- 
pose, can be obtained almost anywhere. 
Yours respectfully, R. C. 
Beaufort, S. C. Jan., 1856. 
MEXICAN WILD POTATOES -POLAND OATS, &C. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — In the December 
number of the Southern Cultivator, page 369, my pro- 
position to distribute, gratuitously, by mail, samples (in 
any desired quantity) of Poland Oats, Biennial Rye and 
Mexican Wild Potatoes, was met with a hearty response 
from gentlemen and ladies in Georgia, Alabama, Missis- 
sippi, and other Southern States, and many have, no 
doubt, been deterred from sending the inquired amount ofo 
postage out of delicacy and fear of troubling me; others 
for want of confidence in the honor and sincerity of my 
proposition. Those who have received can, give the as- 
surance that they have met with entire satisfaction. Will 
such please inform me whether the potatoes were received 
in good condition! The potatoes 1 enveloped in cotton, 
with the view of protecting them from frost. Where such 
small quantities of valuable seed are obtained at large ex- 
pense it is desirable to treat them in such a manner as to- 
insure the largest product. 
In answer to numerous inquiries I would state my* 
practice in such cases. The oats and rye are to be plant- 
ed early in spring in drills 10 or 12 inches apart and 3 to 
4 inches in the drill, in rich soil, and kept clear of weeds. 
This process will give an astonishing product, and prove 
how much seed is wasted by the old process of broadcast 
sowing. It should be cut as soon as the straw below the 
heads begin to turn yellow. 
The potato, in like manner, should have plenty of room. 
Cut in as many pieces as you discover eyes or germs, 
even if not larger than a grain of corn. These planted 
one in a hill, 3 feet apart, in a fine sand or sandy loam, 
well enriched with compost or old stable manure, 
thoroughly incorporated in the soil will give a product, 
with ordinary luck, sufficient to plant an acre, from one 
pound of seed. 
One dollar is sufficient to cover po.stage on 16 ounces of 
the above articles, and still a sufficient compensation in 
the odd 4 cents is left for your humble servant. Addre^ 
(free) 1. W. Briggs, P. M. 
West Mace don, Wayne Co.. N. Y. 
MILK FROM SPAYED COWS. 
BY J. U. HECKERMAN, TII'FIN CITY, OHIO. 
Except bread alone, there is, perhaps, no article that 
enters so largely into the nutrition of man as that of milk. 
As food and drink, it i-s extensively consumed by the 
adult portion of our race, it constitutes the exclusive nour- 
ishment of nine tenths of all children under twelve months, 
and forms the chief diet to the remaining one tenth. 
The chemical and medical properties of milk have long 
been made the subject of scientific investigation, and long 
has the writer in vain looked for something from the pen 
of a senior observer on the point to w^hich he now wishes 
to direct attention. 
It has ever been a desideratum in the rearing of chiL 
dren who are denied the breast of a mother, or nurse, to 
procure milk from an animal in wdiich it approaches near- 
est to that of the human female, and which shall uniform- 
ly have the same constituent properties. 
In looking over the tables which are given of the con- 
stituents of milk, we seldom meet two authors who agree 
in their observations; indeed, so great aie the discrepan- 
cies, that they only serve to confound us in confusion. 
Thi.s circumstance can be accounted for by the different 
animals experimented upon, the season of the year, the 
character of tiie food afforded, and the ppi iod of pregnancy 
or non-pregnancy of the animals at the time of the experir- 
ments. 
