150 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
From the Central New York Farmer. 
WORK FOR SEPTEMBER. 
Although considerable work is expected to be 
done this month, still it is not so pressing as the 
last, but the provident larmer will always go 
ahead of his labors, and thus preserve the mas- 
tery of the manifold operations of his farm, as 
by the pursuit of such a course, he not only ren- 
ders his business a source of pleasure, but one 
of profit. 
Plowing . — Flush up the ground you intend 
to appropriate to small grain, and be sure to 
plow well and deep, and to lay the furrow nearly 
fiat, if the ground turned down be a sward. Do 
not take too wide a slice, nor suffer b.alks to oc- 
cur, as they are not only injurious to your soil, 
but lessen its production. 
Wheat . — This crop, although not cultivated 
to any great extent in this vicinity, is consider- 
ed, in some sections, the most important crop to 
w'hich the farmer can direct his attention ; it is 
at the same time, one of the most diflicult to 
cultivate with uniform success. Different, and 
even opposite causes, must be puisued under 
different circumstances, in order to obtain the 
same desirable results, a good crop ; difference 
of soil— difference of climate — difference in the 
time of sowing — and difference in the variety of 
seed. This last we found verified this season, 
as the bald wheat was nearly all destroyed by 
the worm, v/hile the bearded escaped, or at least 
was very little affected by the insect. Material 
variations are frequently required in the mode 
of culture, which renders the business of raising 
wheat one of the most complex of all the branch- 
es of agricultural practice. 
Soil and Preparation.— In preparing the soil 
for many other crops, it is rare that much cau- 
tion or skill is necessary; for instance, corn re- 
quires high manuring, and a rich soil, and it is 
scarcely possible to carry this to excess. But 
with wheat, the case is otherwise; land natu- 
rally rich, or highly manured, is apt to cause, 
during the hot season of summer, a too rapid 
growth of stem, at 'he expense of the seed ; and 
rust, lodging, and ultimate failure is frequently 
the consequence. This evil, we have found, is 
caused to a far greater degree it strong unfer- 
mented manure is applied, which causes a still 
more luxuriant growuh of straw. It is an estab- 
lished law in vegetable economy, that an extra- 
ordinary growth of the straw' and leaves is al- 
ways at the expense of the fruit and seed. 
Therefore, unlerraeuted or fresh manure should 
never be applied to land intended immediately 
for wheat. It is best, when practicable, to apply 
fresh manure to other crops w'hich are to pre- 
cede wheat. In this way the manure becomes 
well rotted and thoroughly incorporated wuth the 
soil by the time the wheat is sown upon it. 
Land may be highly fertilized by this course, 
without any bad effects ;. indeed, some of the 
best crops are obtained from ground enriched in 
this manner — instances of which may be often 
seen in places where large quantities of manure 
have been deposited, demolished buildings, &c., 
where grain is often three limes more productive 
than on adjoining ground in the same field. 
When the above course of manuring is pur- 
sued, land is rarely made too rich for wheat, 
provided it is accompanied with deep plowing. 
This is indeed highly important in fertile soils. 
Nearly all who raise large crops on such soils, 
have made use of deep plowing in previous 
years. There arc, however, some very shallow 
soils, w’here the subsoil will not admit of this 
practice ; such of course must form exceptions. 
It is now generally conceded, we believe, that 
rest is of no use to land and can never improve 
its quality while nothing grows upon it. — 
Ground which is not employed in producing 
food for animals, should be occupied in prepar- 
ing food lor plants; or, in other words, instead 
of lyingnaked, it should be producing some suit- 
able crop to serve as a coat of manure to enrich 
itself. 
Peas, beans and clover, are among the best 
crops to precede wheat, as they are very different 
in their nature from it, and consequently afford 
a greater change in the succession. Clover, in 
particular, possdfeses several advantages; its 
roots loosen the soil, furnish excellent manure 
when plowed under, and unlike the natural 
grasses, does not form so tough a sod as to re- 
quire summer fallowing in order lo break and 
pulverize it. 
A neighbor turned over a lough green sward 
last year, w'hich had been pastured for two years, 
and after giving it a thorough harrowing, sowed 
his wheat ear ly in September, from which he ob- 
tained a good crop at a very small expense. 
Corn for Fodder . — The usual time for topping 
corn has arrived. We are of the opinion that 
very early cutting the top stalks is unfavorable 
to corn. Whether the enhanced value of the 
stalks counterbalances the injury to the corn, is 
not so well settled. Our opinion is not only 
against early topping, but against topping at all. 
We prefer to let the corn stand untopped until 
the grain is glazed, and then cut it at the bottom, 
and set it up in small stooks to dry. Care, 
however, must be taken not to put it away until 
the grain is perfectly dried; and the same pre- 
caution is necessary with regard to stalks in- 
tended for winter food for cattle. We have no 
fears from storms, fogs or frosts, after the corn 
is once stocked. We do not assert that these 
cannot injure it then; but we have for years 
followed this plan, and our corn has escaped all 
harm from these causes. We have never had it 
injured, unless the stooks have been prostrated 
by violent winds. Fears may be entertained, 
that in this situation the corn will mould. But 
our experience teaches us otherwise. We have 
had ipn this situation, through successive days 
in warm weather, and no injury suffered. Here 
it is secured against frost, against birds, and 
mostly against the dirt, which autumn rains 
throw upon the leaves and husks. Let it re- 
main in stook, until it is well dried — from three 
to five, or six wmeks, according lo the state of 
the weather. Large stalks stand in stook much 
better than small ones. The larger the corn, 
the better it is suited to this process of curing. 
Rye . — Your rye should be put in duiing this 
month, and the sooner it is sown, the better 
chance it will have to resist the frosts, and ofnot 
being winter killed. Sandy or gravelly soils, 
are best suited to its growth, and though many 
affirm that it does not require that the land should 
be manured, we have no doubt ourself that a 
moderate portinn of manure well rotted, of ash- 
es or lime, wmuld have a very salutary effect. 
Whatever ground it may be put upon, every 
possible pains should be taken to have it in fine 
tilth. If it be not well pulverized, it will assu- 
redly not thrive as well as might be desired. 
When sown on stubble, a good crop maybe 
raised by once plowing, if well done, by which 
the weeds and stubble should all be turned un- 
der ; alter wffiich, the ground should be made 
free on the top, with a ligh' harrow. By sow- 
ing early, good pasture for calves and young 
sheep is secured, after the common grass have 
failed; and even in the spring it maybe fed 
down with small stock, without injury to the 
crop. Another advantage of early sowing is, 
the roots become much firmer fixed in the 
ground, and are not so apt to be flung out of 
the ground by the frost; besides, when sown 
early, less seed will answer for the same ground 
As in the common course of farming, there is 
more or less land upon farms which are in good 
condition to produce rye, that would not produce 
wheat, and from which a crop of rye may be 
raised with as little expense : w’e therefore re- 
commend to farmers to sow rye, and be careful 
about the quality sown, as there are two or three 
varieties of this, which are in common use 
amongst us: one kind is lighter in color than 
the others, and commonly called white rye ; this 
is to be preferred, as it produces equally as well 
as the darker kinds, and when well ground, 
makes a very wholesome and palatable bread, 
which is preferred by many people to w’heat ; for 
mixing with corn-meal for making bread, it is 
allowed to be superior. 
Timothy . — Now is a good time to put in timo- 
thy and red-top seed. The ground should be 
well manured, and brought to a fine tilth. If 
you desire to cut it next summer, sow it alone > 
if that be not your object, you may put it in with 
your wheat or rye. In the spring, a top dress- 
ing of a compost, composed of ten bushels of 
ashes, and one of lime or plaster of Paris, would 
be found of great utility. The quantity of seed 
per acre, is from 12 to 16 quarts. 
Rye Grass . — If you sow now, you may graze 
upon it next season, without injuring it. Two 
bushels of seed to the acre should be sown. The 
ground should be prepared as for any other of 
the grasses. 
Pilfering . — This is a season when the owners 
of orchards, gardens, &c., especially in the 
neighborhood of thick settled towns and villa- 
ges, are greatly annoyed by the depredations of 
boys, thieves, trespassers, &c. A strange no- 
tion seems to prevail among many persons on 
this subject. They do not regard the taking of 
fruit, vegetables or melons, as stealing. They 
consider it as a kind ofvenial offence, rather im- 
plying smartness, than criminality. It is high 
time that this notion wms exploded, and that 
those who plunder orchards, gardens, and 
melon patches, were taught that they are as guilty 
ofstealing, as though they took the owner’s mo- 
ney, horse or other property. It is not general- 
1 V knowm that the revised statues of the State of 
New York, declare the robbing of orchards, gar- 
dens, &c., to be a misdemeanor, and punishable 
by fine, and imprisonment, or both, in the dis- 
cretion of the court. 
This reminds me of a circumstance which 
happened when 1 was a little fellow, just old 
enough to be mischievous. I was beset by a 
parcel of my companions, to go and pilfer the 
parson’s pears. The tree wms large, hung lull, 
and they were of a most delicious flavor. 
Whether I was afraid of detection, and a flog-^ 
ging — w’hether respect for the parson, (for in 
those days children were brought up to respect 
the pious,) prevented me ; or whether I was de- 
terred by the recollection of my bad luck in pil- 
fering melons, I cannot remember — but I told 
them decidedly, I would have nothing to do with 
the matter, and did all in my power to dissuade 
them from their enterprise. 
I don’t know how, but so it happened, that my 
honesty got to the parson’s ears, and on Satur- 
day afternoon, I received an invitation to go and 
see him. Away I went, conscious that I had 
done nothing amiss : how light beats the heart 
of innocence! The good man met me at the 
door; and taking me uy the hand, said, “I have 
heard that you refused to join in pilfering my 
pears. Now, I mean to convince you that ^ho- 
nesty is the best poluyd Here,” added he, placing 
a large basket of the finest fruit before me, “eat 
what you please, and take as many with you as 
you can carry.” I felt that moment happier than 
Napoleon with empires at his feet, And the cir- 
cumstance led me to remark, in early life, the 
consequence of an adherence to the maxim. 
From the Central New York Farmer. 
HORN DISTEMPER OR HOLLOW HORN. 
This disease, sometimes called, likewise, the 
horn-ail, is often fatal from unskilful treatment. 
It often makes its attack very suddenly, and 
may be known by the drooping of the head, lop- 
ping of the ears, a glassy appearance of the eye, 
lashing the sides with the tail, bloating of the 
chest, loss of appetite, &c. 
Treatment.— Bleed from the neck, and cut 
off the end of the tail, if it is soft and loose. 
Prepare a solution of salt in vinegar, and make 
ii strong with pepper, and pour it into each ear 
at the temperature of blood heat: this may be 
repeated twice in the 24 hours as long as the 
symptoms require. Put a table-spoon full of 
spirits of turpentine into the cavity on the top of 
the head a few times. Give two balls of tar 
rolled with meal, of the size of a butternut, 
twice a day. . , . 
The above method of treating this disease, is 
recommended by Mr. Samuel W. Bartlett, late 
of East Windsor, Ct., as having been very suc- 
cessful in a large number of cases treated by 
himself, and others in that vicinity. 
