REVIEW OF THE -APRIL NO. OF THE AGRICULTURIST. 
245 
don’t seem to care much whose they are. And as 
I don’t mean to let him know who owns mine that 
he is trampling upon, I shall advise him to keep on 
trampling; and I will risk my toes just for the fun 
of seeing some of my neighbors, kick and scold. 
There is too much humbug peddling among stock 
raisers, and an editor of an agricultural paper that 
will accept of pay for puffing off’a spurious breed 
of “ sperm oil Merinos ,” is no cultivator of moral 
honesty. It is time some swindling tricks that I 
know of, were exposed. I caution buyers at the 
South and West not to send orders here, unless; 
they do it through some agent who has a reputa¬ 
tion that cannot be greased over with so contempt¬ 
ible a covering as artificial gum on a sheep’s wool, 
i hope, that after all, Mr. Brown is not advertising 
his own flock. Pray let us hear from him again. 
Importing Beet Seeds is an absolute disgrace to 
this country. But I cannot think it would be, if it 
was known that it would meet with a ready sale at 
a fair price, if raised at home. Please tell us what 
is the priee, and where the market ? [We usually 
sell at 75 cents per lb. See our Catalogue., p. 60.] 
The crop must be a large one in bushels, per acre ; 
but only about one-half should ever be put up for 
seed by an honest man, except a sort of a whale-oil 
Merino-buck honesty. What would the small 
refuse seed be good for ? [Nothing at all that we 
know of, except for manure.] 
A Massachusetts Barn. —Just what we might ex¬ 
pect from a State where they put timber into a ma¬ 
chine that turns out finished plows. I like this 
barn, and if Mr. Knox can make them for $600 
each, I would like to take a couple, and allow him 
10 per cent, profit. I would recommend an addi¬ 
tion, and that is a ventilation in the centre of the 
roof, made with slats, like Venetian blinds. They 
are but seldom added to barns, yet I am persuaded 
that they would be of great service in carrying off 
the gases that arise from the hay and grain, and 
which always make it so oppressive to the laborer, 
when “ mowing away” near the roof. The slats 
can be made to open and shut, by cords coming 
down to the fioor, if that should be preferred to 
having them stationary. I hope no one who sees 
this plan will ever build a barn 60 feet long, with a 
floor running crosswise. I wish, Mr. Editor, that 
you would procure and publish the plan of an old- 
fashioned Massachusetts farm-house. [Thank 
you for the hint. It shall be done hereafter. We 
had the honor, for so we consider it, of being born; 
and partly reared in one.] Such an one, I mean,: 
as you and I—oh, I forget, you don’t know who, 
“ I” am—but such a one as used to be common a 
hundred years ago, having two “ square rooms” 
and a kitchen, with such a fire-place! All the ; 
plans since contrived are not w improvements.” 
Blight in Pear Trees. —More indefiniteness.' 
What is blight? First describe the disease, so. 
that everybody can tell what it is, and then I don’t 
care what you call it, or how you cure it. Will 
somebody tell me if a pear tree ever blighted that 
had a supply of wood ashes around the roots every 
year ? The same of plums ? There are better 
uses for ashes than throwing them in the street, or 
selling them to the ash gatherers fox w a pound of 
soap per bushel” 
Gardening, No. 2.—Should have been entitled 
“ History of Ancient Gardens,” &c. It is an in¬ 
teresting historical article. It never struck my mind 
so forcibly, before I read it in this article, that; 
“Jesus Christ was buried in a garden.” And I 
thought how much more like heathens than 
Christians, do the most of his followers bury their 
dead, in the byways and highways of this land, 
instead of in gardens, and cc a field bordered with 
trees.” 
Fat Heifers. —I am sorry to be obliged to “ guess” 
that Mr. Clift was not well paid for those very fat 
heifers sent to our market. 1 should be pleased? to 
see his “ bill of items” of the cost of putting so 
much fat on two set of ribs. Is it profitable ? 
[Yes; undoubtedly.] That is a question of most 
importance. 
Experiments with Guano. —If you will never 
publish another article upon this subject, I am will¬ 
ing to concede that guano (h.uano is the proper 
name) is the very best manure on earth, or under 
the earth, or in the air, fire, or water of the earth; 
but I never will concede that it is good economy to 
import manure, and waste it, when we might use 
home-made. I have done with this subject. [My 
dear Reviewer, don’t be so savage over the produce 
of innocent sea-fowls.] 
Polled Cattle. —I always did like them, and don’t 
know what we grow horns for, now the farmers’ 
girls are all too proud to wear “ horn combs;” and 
“ horn spoons” are entirely out of fashion. The 
only use I know for cattle horns, is, to hook sheep 
to death, or occasionally kill a fine horse, or them¬ 
selves. As for your assertion that farmers don’t 
regard xt any point at all ” in breeding cattle, it is 
just no such thing; for, with a few exceptions, 
like your correspondent, they almost universally 
regard two very pointed and useless horns. 
To keep Land in Grass. —The soil that “ a young 
farmer” speaks of, is probably a sandy one. In 
that case, it is better not to try to keep the land in 
grass; but sow seed with all small grain, and then 
break up the meadows whenever it fails—this is 
my experience. 
Hood’s Balance Gate.— ^Something new, and I 
should think would suit a southern latitude, where, 
if a man should, “ Yankee fashion,” build his 
house almost into the road, he would be set down 
as ' u no gentleman.;” and where every house has at 
least one, frequently three or four gates to pass, in 
the approach to it; “I reckon,” such a gate would 
be right smart convenient.” But the dimensions 
should be given, and the cost also would be useful. 
They won’t suit all latitudes. 
The Giarden, No. 2.—This title is too nearly 
synonymous with “ Gardening, No. 2,” and should 
have borne the title of that. But no matter for 
titles. But few will read the article, and less prac¬ 
tise its recommendations. Our American ladies are 
entirely too effeminate and dyspeptic; and ridicu¬ 
lously full of affectation of delicacy, to engage in 
so healthy and happy an employment as cultivating 
the garden. Unpalatable truths these, but truths 
nevertheless. I wholly despair of inducing the 
present race of farmers’ daughters to return to a 
life of usefulness, and the time and talent employed 
in providing such articles as this for their use, is 
