CHITTENDEN COUNTY AG. SOCIETY.—-WHITE MUSTARD.—SEED SOWERS, ETC. 
75 
CHITTENDEN COUNTY (Vt.) AGRICUL¬ 
TURAL SOCIETY. 
At the Annual Meeting of this Society, lately 
held at Burlington, the committee on field crops 
reported that they had examined all the specimens, 
and the mode of cultivation exhibited, and they re¬ 
gretted to state that so few were shown; but the 
quality, in most cases, made full amends for want of 
quantity. 
The first premium on winter wheat was awarded 
to Levi Comstock, of Shelburne ; the 2d do. to John 
N. Pomeroy, of Burlington ; 1st premium on spring 
wheat, to Chester Blin, of Shelburne; and the 2d 
do. to Chauncey Goodrich, of Burlington. 
The winter wheat was of the white flint variety. 
Mr. Comstock’s was raised on a slaty marl soil, and 
produced the great quantity of 41 bushels to the 
acre. Mr. Pomeroy’s was raised on pine plain 
land, and his field averaged 21 bushels to the acre. 
Both specimens were fully equal to any raised in 
the wheat district of Western New York or Mary¬ 
land. Mr. Blin’s spring wheat was grown on a 
soil of a gravelly loam, planted last year with-' corn, 
highly manured ; produced 31 bushels to the acre, 
of the bald red chaff variety. Mr. Goodrich’s was 
grown on a dry gravelly soil, plowed for the pur¬ 
pose of seeding for pasture land ; slightly manured 
and planted with potatoes in 1845; plowed and 
harrowed ; seed, 1 bushel and 12 quarts, plowed in, 
and one bushel of plaster and six bushels of slacked 
lime sown on it, product 22 bushels on one acre. 
On Indian corn, they awarded the 1st premium to 
John G. Goodhue, Jericho ; 2d do., Col. Smith, St. 
George; 3d do., Chester Blin, Shelburne; 4th do., 
Warren Ford, Essex. The product was 94!, 93, 
85!, and 80 bushels to the acre, estimating one 
bushel of shelled corn for two bushels of ears. 
Mr. Goodhue’s corn was grown on green sward, 
long manure plowed in, and rotted manure spread 
on the surface, and an equal mixture of plaster, 
ashes, and lime, at the rate of one spoonful (how 
large a spoon ?) to each hill. Mr. Ford’s was grown 
on green sward, and manure plowed in. 
On Oats the 1st premium was awarded to Levi 
Comstock, of Shelburne; 2d do., to N. Stearns, of 
Williston; 67 and 64 bushels to the acre. On 
Beans, 1st premium to Wm. Bowman, of Westford ; 
2d do., to Geo. Saxton, Shelburne; 15f and 15 
bushels to ! acre. On Potatoes, 1st premium to 
Chester Blin; 2d do., to Nathan Stearns; 1st, 217 
bushels long red, 2d 131 bushels King potatoes on 
! acre. On Carrots, 1st premium to Tristam Con¬ 
ner, of Burlington; 2d do. to Usal Pierson, of Shel¬ 
burne ; 1st, 300! bushels, long orange, 2d, 215 
bushels Altringham, on J acre. 
CULTURE OF WHITE MUSTARD. 
When in England, we often noticed the white 
mustard, Sinapis alba , occupying the poor, thin soils 
of the country, and were informed it would grow 
quite well where no other crop would flourish; 
that it answered an excellent purpose to turn in 
green for manure; and not unfrequently it was fed 
off with sheep to considerable advantage, and thus 
formed a good preparation for the turnip crop. Its 
seed is also valuable as a condiment. We are per¬ 
suaded that white mustard would do well on the 
poor, sandy soils of Long Island, New Jersey, and 
other parts of the United States. We will now 
give the method of culture as practised in England. 
Prepare the land by plowing, the same as for any 
other crop; but see that it is harrowed deep and 
fine. Sow in drills about six inches apart, or broad¬ 
cast, as soon as danger from frost is past, which in 
this latitude is usually the last of April or forepart 
of May. From 5 to 8 quarts of seed per acre is 
sufficient. Harrow or bush it in, and then roll the 
surface with a tolerably heavy roller, especially if 
the soil be light or at all shifty. It grows from 2! to 3 
feet high. It will be fit to be fed off by sheep in 5 
to 7 weeks after sowing, or just before coming into 
blossom. It must be fed sparingly to them at first, 
or it might do injury. If to be plowed in for ma¬ 
nure, let it stand till it is in full bloom, and then 
turn it under with a wide pointed two-horse plow. 
SEED SOWERS. 
Seed Sowers.— Fig. 14. 
Seed Sowers are of many kinds, and prices vary 
accordingly, from $3 to $15. The cheaper kinds 
we consider as entirely worthless to sow any but 
the smallest seeds, such as onions and turnips. We 
have recently got up an improved Seed Sower, some¬ 
thing like the above cut. The person using it takes 
it by the handles, the same as he would a wheel¬ 
barrow, and trundles it rapidly along, sowing from 
two to five acres per day, according to the distance 
of the rows apart. These implements save half 
the seed or more over hand-sowing, thus making 
a double saving. The seed is put into a hopper, 
and falls through a funnel into a drill made by the 
share, and is then covered by the roller. It can be 
set to plant at different depths. It is useless to at¬ 
tempt to use it in a stiff clay soil; the ground must 
be fine and well pulverized to ensure its working 
well. In the Improved Seed Sower, there are two 
cylinders; one is used for sowing onions, turnips, 
carrots, parsnips, millet, and other light grain. This 
is then taken out and another cylinder is inserted 
for sowing beets, peas, beans, corn, &c. The price 
with single cylinder is $12.00. With extra cylinder 
$15.00. It is very strong and complete, and we do 
not hesitate to say the best now in use. 
Arabian Mode of treating Horses. —However 
poor, an Arab is never without a good horse ; and 
he will often take pleasure in looking at it for an 
hour together. The horse is washed, but never 
curried. As soon as a colt is a year old his mane 
and tail are shaved, to make the hair grow again 
as thickly as possible. 
Are you insured against fire ? If not, no time 
should be lost in attending to it 
