328 
AMEBIC AN AGrBICU ETU BIST 
What Manures Shall I Buy? 
This is not so essential a question with West¬ 
ern cultivators, where there is an abundance of 
rich organic matter in a virgin soil, though, as we 
have already shown, and shall still further show, 
it behooves those having even the best of soils to 
husband the wealth already in their land, instead 
of wasting it and thus impoverishing their estates. 
But in all the older States, and in the newer re¬ 
gions where the soil is only moderately good, the 
preservation as well as the procuring of manures 
is a matter of the utmost importance. Scarcely 
a day passes during the entire year, in which we 
are not asked by a greater or less number of per¬ 
sons : “ Which one of the many fertilizers offer¬ 
ed in market—all backed up by abundant certifi¬ 
cates—would you advise me to buy 1” 
On this point we are somewhat radical, and 
consequently not in very good odor with the man¬ 
ufacturers and sellers of artificial manures, who, 
as will be seen, generally steer pretty clear of our 
advertising columns. We know also, that our 
views do not accord with those of the great mass 
of so-called “ scientific writers but having de¬ 
voted, perhaps, quite as much time and expense 
as most of them, both on the farm and in the 
laboratory, to the careful investigation of this 
subject, we must adhere to our own views on the 
matter unless they can be shown to be erroneous. 
Our invariable rule is, to inquire of any new 
fertilizer, first, how much organic matter does it 
contain ; that is, how great a proportion of it is 
animal or vegetable material 1 Second, how near¬ 
ly does the organic matter approach, in its com¬ 
position, to lean flesh ; or in other words, how 
much nitrogen does it contain. Others lay great 
stress upon the phosphates and other mineral 
matters ; we attach comparatively little value 
to these, for reasons formerly set forth and to be 
discussed hereafter. 
Judging by these rules ; we rank first, finely 
ground unburned bones, not those merely broken 
—we buy nothing else, except for fruit trees or 
vines, when those well broken are good. 
Next, we rank genuine Peruvian guano—but 
no other kind however high sounding a name it 
may bear 
Of course substances resembling the above 
named two, are good ; such as, blood, flesh, wool, 
hair, fish, solid and liquid excrements of human 
and other animals, when these substances are not 
mixed up with too great a quantity of worthless ma¬ 
terials, as is often the case when they are put up 
for market. But of this subject more hereafter. 
- - — ----•>- 
Experience in Draining. 
A subscriber in Carroll Co., Ohio, writes: 
Having a 6-acre meadow, a part of which was 
very wet and produced in the driest weather noth¬ 
ing but rushes and coarse grass, I determined to 
put in practice what I had read in the Agricultur¬ 
ist for two years past ; so I set about draining it 
in August, by cutting one drain across the lowest 
part, and another above striking into the first 
ot right angles. There being no tiles in this sec- 
♦ion, I used stones, which were drawn on a sled 
* ne-fourth of a mile. This was a serious job, but 
asides getting draining material, I was clearing 
iff a hundred loads of stones that had been great- 
<y in the way. While we were working at the 
Arain, I could not help thinking of Tim Bunker, 
at Hookertown, and Jotham Sparrowgrass, for 
being near the public way, every passer-by stopped 
to take a look and have his say about what was a 
novelty in these parts. The Sparrowgrasses as 
fhey rode along not unfrequently me I wqq 
1 spileing my medders.’ But I let them have their 
opinion and I kept mine. Well, my drains are 
done, the wet bog is dry land, and the clear stream 
running out of my drain, even in this ‘ dry time ’ 
is not only pleasant to behold, but it is prophetic 
of a great corn crop next year where only useless 
rushes formerly flourished. So much for ‘ book 
farming,’ from New Hagarstown, Carroll Co., 
Ohio.” 
[We should like to be present next Autumn, 
when the Sparrowgrasses come over to reckon 
up with you the interest your corn crop will pay 
on the expense of the drains, to say nothing of the 
increased value of the land cleared of stones. 
Ed.] 
- < ——» — — — ■ 
The Dairy—Butter and Cheese. 
Our recent offer of a prize of $100 or more, for 
the best articles on Butter and Cheese, has 
awakened attention to the subject, and set many 
of those best acquainted with the subject practi¬ 
cally to collecting their thoughts. We have prop¬ 
ositions and preliminary chapters from several 
persons. We are therefore prepared to announce 
that in our next volume, we shall give a valuable 
series of most thorough and understandable arti¬ 
cles on Butter and Cheese making from the pens 
of those competent to discuss them. To a mul¬ 
titude of persons, this series will alone be worth 
many times the small subscription price. 
Innumerable tons of both butter and cheese are 
made in the United States. Much of it is of the 
best quality, some of it passably good, other por¬ 
tions of it inferior, and much of it execrable. We 
admit that it can not all be of the best, for nei¬ 
ther the climate, nor soil will admit of it, which 
may be a new idea to some people ; but that most 
of it can be good, and all tolerable, simply by a 
knowledge of the best modes of manufacture and 
after treatment, there need be no question 
Like some other American staples, our best but¬ 
ter, and our richest cheese have their own climate, 
and their peculiar soils which produce them in 
perfection, where the necessary process of manu¬ 
facture is understood, and practiced. That these 
articles should, in such localities, occupy almost 
the exclusive industry of the farmers is the fact, 
and but demonstrates the policy of directing our 
attention, in any part of the country, to that pur¬ 
suit which, once well understood, is the most lu¬ 
crative in the long run. Many of our best dairy 
districts, from being rugged and poor at first, 
hardly attracting the attention of dairymen at all 
from the apparent poverty and repulsiveness of 
their soils, are now equal in value and produc¬ 
tiveness for dairy purposes alone to the choicest 
of wheat and corn lands, and still growing better. 
The dairy interest is but partially developed, as 
yet, in the United States, and in our wide pro¬ 
gressive range of population and pursuits, its im¬ 
portance and advantages are to be developed to 
an extent of which those engaged in it little dream. 
We hope to throw such light on the subject as 
may be both valuable and interesting to our read¬ 
ers. 
Hints on Butter Making. 
A lady in Schuyler County, thinks, and rightly 
too, that there is no necessity for there being so 
much trash thrown upon the market under the 
name of butter. She asks why can not the West¬ 
ern and Middle Counties of New York, produce 
as good butter and cheese, and get as good prices 
for it as Orange County. Ans. —Some of them 
can and do, though not a little of the Western 
product is sold under the name of ‘‘Orange 
Couqty butter/’ The trutji the Orange County 
people for so long a time sent uniformly good butter 
and cheese that a reputation was established. 
Our correspondent is right, in conjecturing that 
most of the trash (amounting to about three-fourths 
of all butter sold in the country) results from ig¬ 
norance of the method of making it well. A lit¬ 
tle more knowledge on the part of the makers 
would, from the same milk, produce butter worth, 
to-day, in the New York market, 25 cents per lb., 
wholesale, whereas their butter is now sold at 14c. 
i®16c. per lb. Our correspondent says she has 
obtained for her butter the same price that has 
been paid for the Orange County product. We 
do not quite understand her description respect¬ 
ing “churning the whole milk," and yet “ adding 
one quart of boiling water to the cream." Any 
hints and suggestions on this topic will be gladly 
received. Let us have a large amount of experi¬ 
ence from different, persons, as all hints received 
will add to the value of the proposed discussion 
which we hope will furnish the best views, ane 
practical directions yet published. 
Cattle Poison in Pastures 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
Having obtained a great amount of useful in¬ 
formation from your valuable paper, I have takeii 
the liberty of addressing you upon the subject o» 
poison, or what is supposed to be poison, growing 
in pastures and meadows. Upon the farm which 
I own a number of cattle have lately died, it ij 
said, from eating somefhing that grows in the 
pasture The fields have been examined and noth 
ing could be found that was known to be poison. 
Horses do not seem to suffer in the same fields 
We dare not let our cattle occupy the suspected 
fields and it is a great trouble to us. Now, Mi 
Editor, if you or some of your numerous corres 
pondents could give any information concerning 
vegetable poisons cattle are liable t.o eat, you 
would confer a favor, as well as a blessing, upon 
your humble writer, and no doubt upon many who 
are suffering from the same cause. The farm is 
situated in Washington Co. Nothing was known 
of the kind until last Summer and Fall. 
Troy, N. Y. W. C. Badeau. 
Remark.— With only the above brief description, 
we can form no definite conclusion as to the 
cause of the death of the cattle. Perhaps some 
one can, and for this reason we give the letter. [Ed. 
Lima Beans Sixteen Feet High. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
My experience is different from that given on 
page 275, Sept. No., where it is recommended to 
cut the poles down to “ six feet high at the North, 
as the upper part of the vines do not mature, and 
only exhaust the nourishment from the lower 
parts.” I generally select poles which when in¬ 
serted in the ground, are 14 to 16 feet high. Ido 
not experience any difficulty in obtaining early 
matured fruit, extending from the latter part of 
July to the first of November, and once or twice, 
I picked as late as Nov. 15th.” 
Thomas Kearns 
Staten Island, Oct. 12, 1858. 
Remarks.— Mr. Kearns left at our office a 
splended lot of Lima beans, taken 15 feet fron. 
the ground, which certainly go far to substantiate 
his views and practice. But his soil is warmer 
and earlier than the regions further North to 
which the remarks on page 275 particularly re¬ 
ferred.— Ed. 
“ My party has thrown me overboard,” said a 
disappointed politician, “but I have strength 
pnoqgli to §,vviw to the other sfide " 
