MISCELLANEOUS. 
71 
with salt; it will cost but a trifle, and do no harm 
if it produces no good. We scarcely recollect eat¬ 
ing delicate asparagus in the valley of the Ohio ; 
it was generally of large growth, tough, and bitter, 
and none that we ever tasted at the west, did we 
find to possess the peculiar flavor of that growing 
naturally at Dr. King’s. 
New York Farmers’ Club. —Two regular 
meetings took place on the first and second Tues¬ 
days of last month, which were more numerously 
attended than usual. Dr. Gardner has been ap¬ 
pointed consulting chemist for the Club. At the 
first meeting Mr. Meigs read an able article, trans¬ 
lated from a recent report made to the French gov¬ 
ernment, upon the cultivation of tea in China. 
Much interesting conversation followed on various 
subjects, when Mr. Barbour, from Massachusetts, 
gave a detailed account of the success of the silk 
culture in the west, (where he has just been ma¬ 
king a tour,) particularly at Economy, Pennsylva¬ 
nia, and Mount Pleasant, Ohio. Open-feeding is 
prevailing, and is found to answer well. At the 
second meeting, manures was the principal topic 
of conversation. Dr. Stevens gave some curious 
statements upon the subject of caponising fowls, 
he having recently made several experiments on 
turkeys, ducks, &c. 
The reports of the Club at full length, are re¬ 
ported in the Brother Jonathan, one of the best 
family newspapers in this city, published weekly 
by J. Winchester, No. 30 Ann street, and most 
ably edited by H. C. Deming, Esq.; price $2 a 
year. We must refer our readers for more par¬ 
ticular accounts of the doings of the Club to this 
journal. 
Salt as Manure.— After our article page 66 
was in type, we received No. 31 of the New Eng¬ 
land Farmer, in which we see that Mr. Wells has 
used salt as manure for several years. He found 
by various experiments, that when applied at the 
rate of 40, 30, 20, 15, and even 10 bushels to the 
acre, sown broadcast upon the land, it destroyed 
the vegetation. At the rate of 4 to 5 bushels per 
acre it proved very beneficial. He recommends 
mixing the salt with compost heaps as the best 
method of applying it to the land. Notwithstand¬ 
ing these experiments of Mr. Wells, we are confi¬ 
dent that on certain soils, and an inland situation, 
10 to 20 bushels, or even more, of salt per acre 
may be beneficially applied, especially when mix¬ 
ed with the manure or compost heap, and suffered 
to lie a sufficient time to become incorporated 
with it. 
Lime as Manure. —In addition to the good ef¬ 
fects of lime as a manure, expressed by us in our 
last, it greatly improves the quality of the crops 
where used, making the grass and roots less wa¬ 
tery, and gives a greater proportional quantity of 
farina to the different kinds of grain. It also 
hastens the ripening of the crop, especially when 
it is a seed one. It warms the earth, makes the 
climate more salubrious where used, and adds to 
the general health of the people of the district. 
We can not too strongly impress upon the farmer 
the utility of extending the use of lime upon his 
land where it has not already a sufficient quantity 
in it. We shall continue to revert to this subject 
in short paragraphs. 
Much larger quantities of lime would be used 
as manure in this vicinity, could it be had at a 
cheaper rate and at more convenient depots. We 
have many inquiries as to price by the quantity 
for this purpose, and among others, by the farmers 
in the vicinity of Miller’s Place, near Brookhaven, 
Long Island. Will those who have lime for sale 
please answer ? 
Harrowing Grain.— We have often found great 
benefit in harrowing winter grain in the spring of 
the year, as soon as the ground is well settled and 
dry, more especially wheat somewhat winter kill¬ 
ed. It stirs the earth, encourages tillering, and 
adds to the vigor of the growth of the plant. The 
harrow should be followed by the roller, so as to 
replace the roots of the plants which may be laid 
bare by the harrow, and crowd them into the 
earth. It is hardly necessary to add, that the har¬ 
row should be light, with short, fine teeth. Among 
the German population of this country, we have 
seen wooden tooth harrows frequently made use 
of for this purpose ; they asserting, that the teeth 
were not so liable to injure the plant. We believe 
that barley, oats, and all spring crops of grain may 
be harrowed to advantage, whenever the surface 
of the ground becomes somewhat hard and en¬ 
crusted, which all clay soils are liable to after a 
hard rain. Harrowing the hemp crop under such 
circumstances, we were informed in Kentucky, 
has been found highly beneficial. 
The American Agriculturist for Gratuitous 
Distribution.— The Hampshire, Hampden, and 
Franklin Agricultural Society of Massachusetts, 
has ordered 25 copies of our paper for gratuitous 
distribution among its members, with a view of 
giving a stimulus to an improved system of agri¬ 
culture. We have also 75 copies ordered among 
the different societies of this state for premiums. 
We hope that this will be an incentive for others 
to go and do likewise. In all such cases we shall 
put our paper at the lowest possible rates at which 
it can be afforded. 
Multicole Rye. —We beg to acknowledge the 
receipt of a small quantity of this rye from the 
Hon. H. L. Ellsworth, of the Patent Office Wash¬ 
ington, with the following description of it labelled 
on the package: Imported from France, said to be 
different from common rye; sow in June; its 
growth very rapid. The straw is from 8 to 10 
feet high, and the ear 10 to 11 inches long. It 
can be pastured during summer, fall, and winter, 
and then a good crop taken the following year. It 
is believed to be midsummer rye of Poland. The 
weight is 58 lbs. to the bushel; it is said to yield 
a good crop for dry fodder in the spring, without 
hurting the crop of rye. The kernel is small. 
We gave some account of this rye, page 30 of 
January No., and have distributed the seed sent us 
by Mr. Ellsworth among our friends for experi¬ 
ment this season. 
