PLOWING.-REMEDY FOR A COW THAT DOES NOT BREED. 
31] 
collect hearing the late Alderman Stevens remark, that 
he once inoculated a laburnum with a blue Cytisus. 
The bud of the Cytisus was accidentally broken off, 
and there appeared buds at the point of union of the 
bark of the bud with the bark of the stock. These 
buds grew and bore laburnum flowers, but blue like 
the Cytisus, and partaking of the nature of both stock 
and scion, thus proving that sap will generate buds 
without any previously existing rudiment. 
S. B. Parsons. 
Commercial Garden and Nursery, ) 
Flushing, L. I . ) 
PLOWING. 
Plowing is one of the greatest and most important 
operations in agriculture ; particularly in heavy soils. 
I have plowed a great deal myself, and have taken 
particular notice how others have plowed ridges in 
New Jersey, and elsewhere. The centre of the 
ridges was too high, and two banks were made in 
each ridge, which prevented the water from coming 
into the furrow, because the ridge was not plowed on 
a round curvature, as described by Judge Buel, in the 
Farmer’s Companion. 1 was once in Dutchess County, 
and there I saw a field plowed in ridges, and the gen¬ 
tleman told me that he had scraped the furrow with 
a scraper and hoes, for the purpose of giving the 
ridges a round curvature. I have seen two similar 
instances of the same kind in Columbia County. I 
mention these facts to show that our farmers seem de¬ 
sirous of plowing ridges if they could have a plan laid 
down to commence the first six furrows. If the edit¬ 
or will please to ask the favor of some one of his cor¬ 
respondents to furnish us with a plain system of plow¬ 
ing —how to commence the first part of the ridge, 
and how to finish the ridge to have a narrow furrow, 
which will afterwards make smooth mowing and rak¬ 
ing, and will drain the ground drier, than deep, wide 
furrows, particularly where there is not much fall for 
the water, he will greatly oblige me. (a) 
I would like to know what kind of land will do 
best to trench. Kinderhook land is a gravelly subsoil, 
and requires more manure than we can find. (6) 
B. B. 
Kinderhook, N. ¥. Aug. 22, 1845. 
(a) We know of but one way to ridge land in plow¬ 
ing, which is done thus : Suppose you wish to plow 
the field into ridges of the usual width in this coun¬ 
try, which is about sixteen feet. You then set the 
plow in the land eight feet from the fence, and run a 
furrow the whole length. Now jee about, and turn a 
furrow right back on to the first, and so continue un¬ 
til the ridge is finished. This will leave the ridge crown¬ 
ing in the centre, with one dead furrow by the side of 
the fence, and when the next ridge is plowed, two dead 
furrows between each ridge. If the plowing be done 
in a workman-like manner, the dead furrow will usu¬ 
ally be a sufficient drain to carry off the surface wa¬ 
ter ; but if not, a double mould-board plow should be 
run down between the ridges, and the dirt left in the 
dead furrow be drawn up with a hoe on to the 
ridge. Some kinds of land require ridges of not more 
than eight or twelve feet wide; other kinds will bear 
a width of twenty feet or even more, as the subsoil 
may be more or less porous. To obviate the crown¬ 
ing part of the ridge, and leave no dead furrow when 
seeded down with grass, reverse the plowing : that is, 
commence the first furrow of the ridge on the edge of 
it, by turning the first and second furrows into the 
dead furrow or narrow ditch made between the ridges 
by the first plowing, or cross-plow the ridges •. or af¬ 
ter the grass seed is sown and harrowed in 4 run a 
heavy roller over the ridges, commencing on the cen¬ 
tre of eabh. A little practice in ridge plowing will 
soon make any one skilful in it, so that the land can 
be left more or less crowning, or with narrower or 
wider ditches between, as may be desired. 
( b ) It is very serviceable to trench-plow (subsoiling 
is not the same thing) any kind of land; but such as 
has the hardest and stiffest soil is the most benefit¬ 
ed by it. This is easily done with a common plow 
following the surface soil plow, and loosening and 
stirring up the ground several inches deeper, bringing 
more or less of the subsoil to the top. 
WHAT IS THE REMEDY FOR A COW THAT 
DOES NOT BREED ? 
I have a cow of the Durham breed, that had her 
first calf in the spring of 1842 ; and the following 
spring had twins, one of which lived. In the summer 
of the same year she came in heat, but I did not allow 
her to take the bull until the next summer (1844), when 
she was served frequently, coming in heat about once a 
month, until the present summer; and being now al¬ 
most incessantly in that condition, although she has 
repeatedly taken the bull; so that I am fearful I shall 
never be able to get a calf from her. I would there¬ 
fore be much obliged to you if you would give me 
your opinion on the subject, and also advise me what 
course to pursue in order to get a calf. 
jn. B. Powell. 
Henry Co., Tenn., Aug. 10, 1845. 
There are so many reasons why domestic animals 
will not breed that it is impossible to give an opinion 
unless one can see them ; and even then it may be 
difficult to decide till after death, and by dissection 
of the generating organs. Perhaps the cow in ques¬ 
tion is too old to breed, or has been allowed to get too 
fat. If so, she must be reduced till quite poor. Again, 
her womb or some internal organ, may have been in¬ 
jured by the parturition of twins, or otherwise, or per¬ 
haps when put to the bull she has not been satisfied. 
Some animals require from two to a dozen services 
before they will conceive. We once owned a cow 
that could only be got in calf by turning her with 
three or four young bulls for a whole day, allowing 
them to serve her at will. We have also tried the 
same experiment with success with other domestic 
animals. Barrenness frequently arises from abortion, 
or from the female taking the male again loo soon af¬ 
ter parturition. In this case the animal must be kept 
away from the male, and in moderate condition, from 
three to six months, or perhaps longer, in order to 
give the womb time to strengthen. Our correspond¬ 
ent’s cow of course w T e understand is not barren from 
this cause. We recommend his making different ex¬ 
periments with her, and if he is successful in getting 
her to breed again, to communicate to us the manner 
in which it has been accomplished. If any of our 
readers can give us further hints on this subject we 
shall be much obliged. 
