AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
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AGRICULTURE IS TEE MOST EEALTEY , TEE MOST USEFUL , AND TEE MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN. - Washington. 
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY ALLEN & CO., 189 WATER ST. 
VOL. XII.—NO. 15.] NEW-YORK, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1854. [NEW SERIES.-NO. 41. 
J m*FOR PROSPECTUS, TERMS, tfc., 
SEE LAST PAGE. 
EDITOR’S FARM NOTES; 
OR GLEANINGS AMONG PRACTICAL MEN. 
Rahway, N. J.—We made a brief visit to the 
farm of Mr. W. C. Edgar, which lies a little 
south-east of the village, and contains about 300 
acres. Mr. E. tried guano and leached ashes 
side by side a few years since. Both produced 
about equal effects for the time being, but he 
thinks the effects of the ashes were visible for 
the longest time afterwards. He had about 
2000 bushels of gas lime on hand, which cost 
him four cents per bushel, delivered. Mr. E. 
informed us that several in the neighborhood 
preferred this to stone lime. Shell lime is also 
used to considerable extent in the vicinity, and 
is preferred to stone lime by many, but some 
think it less lasting in its effects. We think 
this must be a mistake. We should prefer shell 
to stone lime. The shell lime usually contains 
more or less phosphates, which are generally of 
some utility to the soil. 
New-Brunswick, N. J.—We next visited Mr. 
E. A. Saunders, who cultivates what is known 
as the “Livingston Farm,” which is beautifully 
located upon the high ground on the left (East) 
bank of Raritan river, opposite to New-Bruns- 
wick. This farm contains 13G acres, of what is 
mostly red hard-pan soil. Mr. S. is determined 
to show practically, that what is called “ high 
farming,” is really the most profitable. He 
uses such • quantities of various manures as 
would frighten many farmers; but he keeps an 
exact debit and credit account with every field 
and every crop, and will be ready to show on 
which side the balance lies. During the last 
twelve months he has brought upon this farm 
3000 loads of muck, 450 loads of hog manure 
from the New-Brunswick distilleries, 250 loads 
of charcoal cinders from the locomotive, 1000 
bushels of shell lime, 250 bushel of stone lime, 
one ton of guano, two tons of super-phosphate 
of lime, GOO lbs. of sulphuric acid, &c. On the 
farm he keeps considerable numbers of stock, 
including 40 head of swine. These are con¬ 
stantly manufacturing manure. Each hog, by 
being supplied with muck, produces ten loads 
of excellent compost. His manure manufactur¬ 
ing is well arranged. All the stock are kept 
supplied with muck, and as fast as this is mixed 
with the droppings, it is placed under cover. 
The drainings run into a reservoir, and are fre¬ 
quently pumped back upon the heap. 
Muck is first composted several months with 
shell lime, and then mixed with the hog manure, 
which is in a liquid state when procured. This 
forms an excellent fertilizer. He considers 
shell lime preferable to stone lime for compost¬ 
ing with muck. 
Part of the charcoal cinders are mixed with 
the hog manure, part with the barn-yard ma¬ 
nure, and part with the home-made super-phos¬ 
phate, of which he is making considerable quan¬ 
tities, following the directions given in No. 8 of 
Vol. xi. of the Agriculturist. He finds no dif¬ 
ficulty whatever in dissolving even the largest 
and hardest bones, by allowing time for the 
operation to be completed. When the bones 
are broken small, the solution takes place in a 
week or two ; if unbroken, some six weeks are 
required. 
The value of these various manures, is shown 
in the present appearance of his crops on land 
which has been considered certainly none of the 
best. We examined one field of corn—eleven 
acres—planted only fifteen days before, which 
stood full a foot high over the whole field, and 
measured on an average about 23 inches from 
the surface of the ground to the ends of the 
upper leaves. The ground was plowed deeply, 
well pulverized, and about twelve large wagon¬ 
loads per acre of the hog manure compost was 
applied in the hill at the time of planting. 
Mr. S. has 45 acres of corn, which is all 
growing very luxuriantly. His farm has not 
been considered as adapted to growing wheat, 
but by the liberal use of the various manures 
mentioned above, on ground deeply plowed, this 
crop promises as well as any other. Several 
fields now growing bid fair for a large yield. 
One field of 8£ acres, cut last year, yielded 
821 bushels, which is about 37f bushels per 
acre. The ground for this was treated with 25 
loads per acre of muck, composted with 4 bush¬ 
els per load of gas lime. The compost was 
spread upon the surface after plowing, and 
worked into the soil with a heavy cultivator, and 
the wheat then sown broad-cast, and put in 
with the same cultivator, which left the land in 
small ridges. The ground was rolled early the 
following spring. Mr. Saunders has several in¬ 
teresting experimental crops, an account of 
which we requested him to furnish us for publi¬ 
cation when the results are fully known. 
SHORT-HORNS-FME SHOULDERS. 
We find that some of our friends have mis¬ 
understood the purport of the short article we 
wrote on this subject, page first, of this volume. 
If they will reperuse that article, they will find 
that we did not say that Short-horns had coarse 
shoulders, only in comparison with the recently- 
improved Devons. The shoulders of a Short¬ 
horn are very fine in comparison with an ill- 
bred common animal; they are also coarse and 
fine in comparison with each other. But no 
Short-horn bull or cow that we ever saw—and 
we have seen the best that England or America 
ever produced—has shoulders to be compared to 
the lately-improved Devons, as all have ac¬ 
knowledged to us who have seen these high¬ 
bred animals. 
The breeders of Short-horns should now aim 
to imitate the best Devons in this point; also in 
girth round the heart, and a greater amount of 
meat in the crops. In this last point we have 
occasionally seen Short-horns nearly equal to 
the best Devons ; but we never saw one of the 
former approach the latter as now improved in 
the two first points mentioned ; and it will take 
a long course of careful breeding to bring them 
up to this mark. If breeders, however, wish 
to make their Short-horns perfect animals, the 
shoulders, and the girth round the heart, must 
be looked to till they equal the best Devons. In 
all other points, the Short-horns are superior to 
every other breed of cattle; though the Devons 
and Herefords are rapidly approaching them in 
early maturity, fine quality, breadth of loin, and 
large quarters. 
WILL PLASTER PREVENT THE ESCAPE OF 
AMMONIA? 
We have long held and taught by pen and 
lecture, that Plaster of Paris, (sulphate of lime,) 
should be freely mixed not only with guano, 
but with all other ammoniacal manures. We 
have especially recommended sprinkling plaster 
in stables, in the poudrette heap or privy vaults, 
and over the surface of compost heaps, for the 
purpose of retaining the volatile ammonia, which 
is the most valuable element in nearly all ma¬ 
nures. In so recommending, we have been 
guided both by theoretical considerations, and 
by experiments of our own. Sometime since, 
however, we met an article from the pen of one 
in whose chemical knowledge we usually place 
considerable confidence, which cast some doubt 
upon our theory and practice. As there was at 
the time considerable discussion on this subject, 
we requested Professor Porter, of Yale College, 
to make a series of experiments which should 
be of such a character as to settle this question 
definitely. Prof. P. has not yet found time to 
complete the investigation, but we hope he will 
be able, before many months, to publish a series 
of experiments which will show us under what 
circumstances we may rely upon the action of 
plaster to prevent the escape of ammonia. 
In the meantime, we publish the following 
communication from Mr. Wm. H. Brewer, of 
Ovid, N. Y., which we take from a former num¬ 
ber of the Country Gentleman. We worked 
in the same laboratory with Mr. Brewer for 
some time, and knowing him to be a careful 
