2 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
lowed by most if not all manufactures,) and he 
will then know how much of each is contained 
in his mixture. 
A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS. 
The following letter contains several impor¬ 
tant questions, a full answer to each of which 
would fill a whole number of our paper. As 
the inquiries relate to operations at various sea¬ 
sons of the year, we will print them here, and 
from time to time answer them by articles on 
these subjects. The questions will also serve as 
topics for our correspondents, who will confer a 
favor upon their fellow-workers, by giving plain 
statements of their own methods, and the pecu¬ 
liar advantages these methods seem to possess. 
For tlie American Agriculturist. 
Will you oblige a subscriber and constant rea¬ 
der of the Agriculturist , by replying to a few 
questions in relation to farming matters ? 
If in your power, please detail the minutia of 
the method of harvesting Indian corn usually 
practised at the north—viz: cutting up the corn, 
stalks, fodder and all, and putting it in shocks 
to cure and remain till gathered. The universal 
method here is topping and stripping the fodder, 
and gathering the corn from the standing stalks, 
which are subsequently cut up and fed to stock 
or burnt. The former method is considered supe¬ 
rior, and I am anxious to learn its details, as I 
wish to adopt it. 
Please state the usual mode of proceeding— 
the number of stalks to a shock — whether un¬ 
tied when gathering the corn, or gathered stand¬ 
ing—may the shocks remain standing all win¬ 
ter after the corn is gathered — is this method 
more or less expeditious and troublesome than 
topping and stripping, and then gathering—what 
the best implement for cutting, and whatever 
else you may deem relevant. 
Also, what is the best disposition to make of 
farm-yard manure raised during the spring and 
summer, intended for the next year’s corn crop ? 
Should it be hauled on the land and the heaps 
covered with soil; or spread and plowed in—or 
left uncovered ? The soil which will be in corn 
next year is rather sandy and shallow, which I 
wish to stiffen and deepen, and I have some idea 
of plowing in the manure during the fall and 
early winter in four furrow ridges, plowing so 
deeply as to bring to the surface about an inch 
of the sub-soil, (clay) to be pulverized by frost 
during the winter; these ridges to be reversed 
in spring, and the land harrowed before planting. 
Would or would not this be advisable ? I know 
sandy soils ought not to be plowed in autumn, 
but my object in this case is to expose the sub¬ 
soil turned up to the action of the atmosphere 
and frost. When should such land be sub¬ 
soiled? in fall or spring? What the size and 
price of the smallest sub-soil plow ? 
I have at command a quantity of rubbish 
(1000 to 2000 bushels) from a burnt house, 
which I wish to use as manure. What is the 
best mode of using it? 1 have intended to use 
part of it on corn land, broad-cast, after flushing 
and before harrowing; and to spread part dur¬ 
ing the summer on land intended for wheat next 
fall. Your advice, however, shall govern me in 
the disposition of it. 
What is the best method of preparing carrot 
seed for drilling, so as to secure regularity of 
sowing and early germination? 
Would saw-dust, or not, be a good divisor with 
guano, and a fixer of the ammonia ? 
Tiios. R. Jones, Jk. 
Accomac, C. H., Va. 
- - 9 9 • -- 
For the American Agriculturist. 
CANADA THISTLE. 
Messrs. Editors: —In reply to your solicita¬ 
tion, I would say, the Canada Thistle is one of 
the most troublesome weeds with which the 
farmer lias to contend. It spreads very rapidly 
from the seed, which makes it more difficult to 
exterminate, because the thorough-going farmer 
may perform the necessary labor to keep his 
own fields clear, while at the same time his next 
neighbor may be cultivating them with but little 
less care than his corn or wheat. With such a 
state of things, there can be but little hope of 
keeping entirely clear of them. 
The Canada Thistle may be killed by summer 
fallowing, but ten chances to one if the next 
gale does not waft on its wings ten thousand 
of those little germs of life (the seeds) to take 
the place of so many hundred just destroyed. 
The most effectual remedy we have ever tried in 
this section, is to cut them in the month of 
July, when the stalk is hollow, and before the 
seeds are ripe enough to germinate. Cutting 
them thus, when the stalk is hollow, allows the 
stub to fill up with water, which kills it. Al¬ 
though you may not kill them all the first or 
second year, this course, persevered in, will use 
them up of a surety. It is beneficial to scatter 
a little salt over them after cutting, and after 
they arc wilted turn cattle or sheep upon them. 
The animals will eat great quantities of them 
after they are thus salted and wilted. 
S. A. Collins. 
“Pleasant Ridge Farm,” ) 
Sodus, Wayne Co., JV. Y. ) 
■- 9 9 •-- 
For the American Agriculturist. 
SUPER-PHOSPHATE OF LIME. 
In your paper of the 23d of December last 
is an article with the above caption, in connec¬ 
tion with which you invite further communica¬ 
tions upon the same subject. 
Though not a practical agriculturist, I have 
given considerable attention to horticulture, 
and I have used no fertilizer with the general 
effect of which I have been so well satisfied, as 
with the one now under consideration. The 
kind which I have used is manufactured exclu¬ 
sively of bones—finely ground—and sulphuric 
acid, and when prepared is a fine dry powder, 
and very convenient for use as a top-dressing, 
or otherwise. 
I have tried this manure on all kinds of garden 
vegetables, on grass, and on plants and shrub¬ 
bery generally, and with the very best results. 
On potatoes, Lima beans, and vines of every 
description, I have found it eminently beneficial. 
And it is a complete protection against the rava¬ 
ges of grubs, cut-worms, and the bugs which 
often destroy young vines. Since I have used 
it, I have had no trouble from any of these in¬ 
sects. 
One hot forenoon last season, after a gentle 
rain during the previous night, I went into my 
garden and found that full one-half of my young 
cucumber plants had been cut down b}' the 
striped bugs. I immediately sprinkled a hand¬ 
ful of the powdered phosphate over them, and 
from that time not another plant was injured; 
the vines grew luxuriantly, and continued to 
bear well till late in (he season. 
I intend to make further experiments with 
this article, and hope others will do the same. 
Henry D. Smith. 
Middletown, Ct., Felt. 27, 1854. 
- 9 0 > 9 - 
Perkins wishes to know wh}' some of our 
first females wear lamp mats instead of bonnets 
on their heads in the street? Referred to com¬ 
mittee on milliners. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
TURNIPS FOR COWS. 
Noticing an article in your last paper, on 
feeding turnips to cows, and your call for infor¬ 
mation, I will endeavor to give you my own ex¬ 
perience. The sixth experiment I am unable to 
try now, not having raised any turnips this year. 
Two years ago having raised a large crop, I 
gave them freely to the cows, which they fattened 
upon, but I soon found the milk was getting 
very poor. It was of a blueish color, and a gal¬ 
lon of it would not raise as much cream as half 
the quantity ought to have done, and every day 
it seemed to get poorer. Nevertheless the cows 
grew very fat. Having inquired into the cause, 
I immediately stopped the turnips and fed them 
on cut hay, moistened and mixed with chop, 
and in a few days the milk was rich and of a 
beautiful color, and twice the quantity of butter 
was made from it. I was then satisfied as to 
the cause, and I fed the remainder of (he tur¬ 
nips to the hogs, and never will again raise them 
for cows. But any dairyman having the con¬ 
venience of a boiler, and who will boil them 
with a small quantity of meal, shorts, chops, or 
any thing of the kind, will insure fat cows, and 
an abundant quantity of milk or butter. Per¬ 
sons fattening beeves for market will find it a 
good plan to feed once a day with turnips, cut 
into small pieces. W**** 
Harford County, A Id., March 6,1854. 
- 0 * 9 - 
For the American Agriculturist. 
HAVE WE A BLACK SPANISH FOWL 
AMONG US? 
In common with the poultry-breeders and 
fanciers of the country, I have been quite sur¬ 
prised at the decision of a committee of the 
judges of the National Poultry Society, who have 
given it as their verdict, that at the recent ex¬ 
hibition of that Society held in this city, there 
was not a pure Black Spanish fowl to be found. 
If these judges have spoken correctly, I think 
that it is high time they gave the community 
the points of a true Black Spanish fowl. 1, for 
one, have always believed that the birds bred by 
J. P. Childs, and shown at the late fair by the 
Messrs. Haines, of Elizabethtown, possessed all 
of the characteristics necessary to the perfect 
species, but it seems that they don’t come up to 
the scratch. Will Messrs. Giles A Burniiam 
give the public a description of a dona fule 
Black Spanish fowl ? The poultry-breeding com¬ 
munity would like to know in what points the 
birds bred by Mr. Guilds are deficient ? I have 
no interest in them, and neither Mr. C., nor their 
present owners—the Messrs. Haines— have any 
knowledge of this communication ; but informa¬ 
tion on this subject will be gladly received by 
others as well as by a Fancier. 
New York, March C, 1854. 
- 9 ® 9 -- 
HORSES IN RUSSIA. 
The immense number of h rses in Russia 
have their origin in the immeasurable extent 
and fertility of the meadows of the Steppes. 
No country in the world, either Austria in Eu¬ 
rope, or Paraguay in America, can compete 
with her. Russia alone is capable of remount¬ 
ing a numerous cavalry within the shortest 
time, and of keeping it effective during the 
most protracted war. In the last general war, 
it had 05 effective regiments of cavalry, besides 
a numerous ar .ule y, and 170,000 mounted Cos¬ 
sacks, Baschirs, and Calmucks in the field; and 
in 1812-13 the Emperor Alexander ordered four 
reserve corps to be formed, for which in a short 
space of time 63,012 horses were bought. Be¬ 
sides these, a vast number were sold to -the 
Austrian and Prussian cavalry out of the Gov¬ 
ernment of Wolbynia. But notwithstanding 
this extraordinary draught of horses, the statis¬ 
tics of 1814, taken by Professor Heim, in 28 
Governments show that there were 133!) Gov¬ 
ernment and private studs, containing 345,109 
