ISO 
BMat, 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
At least One Bushel More. 
There is now every encouragement to culti¬ 
vators, to increase the products of their fields to 
to the last bushel, the present season, whether 
those products be wheat, corn, barley, oats, beans, 
peas, potatoes, carrots, turnips, orchard fruits, 
Or garden vegetables. This does not necessarily 
imply the planting Or sowing of more ground; 
though every acre that can possibly be tilled 
well, that is, so as to yield a fair profit, should be 
put under cultivation this year. The winter 
grains are, of course, already growing, yet the 
filling up of bare spots with spring varieties-, the 
clearing out of obstructed drains or dead fur¬ 
rows, and the application of some kind of ma¬ 
nure as a top-dressing, may materially increase 
the yield. For the crops yet to be put in, a 
thorough preparation of the ground, a selection 
of good seed, with the application of the last 
shovelful of manure from the barn-yard, poul¬ 
try yard, etc., will all tell in cash next Autumn. 
Nothing makes our severe labors in the field 
less irksome, than to fuel that we are putting in 
a crop so well that it can scarcely fail to give 
good returns. The satisfaction will be still 
greater, if we have reasonable prospects of real¬ 
izing good prices for the resulting crop. 
Such prospects are'now before the cultivators 
of this country. In the Market Review, on a 
subsequent page, reference will be made to the 
condition of the breadstuff markets. An active 
demand for wheat, flour, or corn, will tend to a 
greater consumption of other farm and garden 
products. It may suffice to say here, that owing 
to the unpropitious harvest throughout Great 
Britain last year, with but a moderate yield on 
the Continent of Europe, the demand upon this 
country for breadstuff's has thus far been very 
large, and is likely to continue so through the 
year. Not only must sufficient supplies be 
drawn from us to meet the deficiency until the 
next harvest, but that harvest itself is likely to 
be a small one, comparatively, owing to the fact 
that the prevailing rains last Autumn prevented 
the sowing of the usual breadth, while the late¬ 
ness of the sowing, the poor quality of the seed, 
and the severity of the Winter, leave small hope 
of good crops to our trans-Atlantic neighbors. 
Again, as we write, the sounds of martial mu¬ 
sic, and the gathering hosts of armed men that 
almost momentarily pass our window, betoken 
an impending war of no small magnitude. Of 
that war, its causes, and its aims, this is not 
the place to speak. So much is certain, that if 
continued, it will transfer a vast multitude from 
the producing to the consuming classes. As 
one result, those who are not called from their 
homes to the service of their country, will find 
more work upon their hands, which, with the 
increased demands upon their fields, will re¬ 
quire greater skill and effort. 
The foreign demand will alone greatly stimu¬ 
late the market for agricultural products, and 
enhance prices, thus affording means for liqui¬ 
dating debts incurred for land, and for imple¬ 
ments, and other liabilities, perhaps unwisely 
contracted in the past. Let, then, every cultiva¬ 
tor of the soil take hold with increased energy 
and confidence, and spare no effort of hands 
and brain to secure at least “ one bushel more,” 
either by tilling better than ever before, or by 
increasing the area under cultivation, or by 
both of these means. 
Diuving Moles prom the Cornfield.— 
Mr. G. writer to th ft Agriculturist, that in Indiana 
/poles are trqublqsqnje i n corpfipldS in [ho 
Spring, and it often requires- considerable re¬ 
planting to repair their mischief. The remedy 
used is, to commence pkAving immediately on 
the first appearance of their depredations. Some 
use what is called a “ bull tongue,” made by 
taking a heavy piece of scantling, mortising a 
hole through it, and putting in a “ coulter ” sim¬ 
ilar to one used for “ breaking sod,” so as to let 
it run ten or twelve inches deep, letting the 
scantling slide on the ground. This cuts across 
their underground pathways, and they will 
soon retreat from the field. The {flowing is of¬ 
ten commenced before the corn is up. 
The Draught of Plows—A Trial 
Unquestionably the plow is the most impor¬ 
tant implement of agriculture, as now conduct¬ 
ed. That it is to’ be supplanted, at no distant 
day, by other improved mechanical agencies for 
breaking up the earths surface,- we can hardly 
doubt; but now the plow lies at the base of all 
good tillage, and it is the implement with which 
is performed the hulk of the work for preparing 
the ground for all field crops. Upon the per¬ 
fection of his plow mainly depends the success 
of a farmer. A plow illy fitted for breaking and 
turning the soil, or one requiring a needless ex¬ 
penditure of team power, is costly at any price, 
compared with one which does its work well 
with much less power. A plow that can be 
moved with a steady draught of say 300 lbs., 
may be worked all day by a team of given 
power; while another, requiring 400 lbs. steady 
draught, would keep the same team pulling at 
their utmost strength, worrying and fretting 
them, and rapidly exhausting their strength. 
It is perhaps safe to say, that the team which 
could just draw a 300 lb. plow easily, would 
last twice as long, that is, twice as many years, 
with the same amount of food, if kept on such a 
plow, as if driven before a plow of 400 lbs. 
draught. Or to put it in another form,, if a man 
can with one style of plow do a third more 
work in a day—equivalent to a saving of 75 cts, 
or $1, it is certainly bad economy to use an in¬ 
ferior implement. Doubtless it would be profit¬ 
able to burn up half of the poor farm implements 
now in use, and buy better ones. It is import¬ 
ant, then, for farmers to take into account the 
draught of a plow, as well as other items. 
This matter was suggested by some experi¬ 
ments we witnessed near our residence, April 
15, to test the relative draught of several plows. 
Those which we noted most carefully, were 
two “Eagle Plows No. 20,” of cast iron ; one 
“Eagle Plow No. 19$,” of cast steel; and No. 
2 of a new patent, called the “ Cylinder Plow.” 
A dynamometer was placed between the team 
and the plow, to measure the amount of draught 
required. Every precaution was taken to have 
the width and depth of furrow the same for 
each plow. 
One trial was upon a stiff sod, with a span of 
horses. Eagle plow, No. 20, cast iron ; furrow, 
12 inches wide, and 6£ inches deep. Average 
draught shown by the dynamometer,., .5701bs. 
Eagle plow No. 19£, a trifle smaller than 
No. 20, made of steel; furrow 12 by G£ inches. 
Average draught...5201bs. 
Cylinder plow, No. 9, cast iron. Furrow 12 
by 6| inches. Average draught.4101bs. 
A trial was then made upon another farm, 
on a less compact soil—a sod not so tough as the 
above—and with a steady ox team. An Eagle 
plow, l>y another manufacturer, No. 20, cast 
iron, in use in the field, was tested witli the 
dyn^jpojueler, WMUf of fumm' IS)'' ijUlfea, 
depth 6£ inches. Average draught.4201bs. 
The same team was then attached fio> tha 
Cylinder plow No. 2, about the same size- ass 
Eagle plow No. 20. Width of furrow 12 £ inclri- 
es; depth 6£ inches. Average draught. .3051bs.\ 
Here was certainly a marked difference in the; 
draught required for two plows, worked under- 
precisely the same circumstances, and doing the; 
same amount of work equally well—a result: 
which we should not have credited, had we not- 
witnessed the experiments, and even assisted in. 
directing them, for we have long been partial; 
to the “ Eagle plow.” There are several new 
features in the Cylinder plow, which are- 
claimed to be important, though we gave most, 
attention to the draught, as-much had been claim- • 
ed for this. A rain storm- prevented further 
experiments for the day. We’ think the new 
plow will supersede even the- Eagle,, if the 
manufacturers do not claim too much-for. it,, and 
put the price too high. It is an Ohio - patent;, 
but arrangements are made to manufacture: 
them in this City and elsewhere, we believe.. 
-— - «>»»—— - 
For the American Agriculturist, 
A Cheap Paint. 
About seven years ago, a Mr. Wheeler of thisi 
place, built a bridge for the town, which he; 
painted with the following composition; wa¬ 
ter lime (hydraulic lime) mixed with skimmed 
milk to the consistence of common paint. It 
was put on with a short-handled whitewash 
brush; eight or ten quarts were mixed at a time, 
and 2 or 3 coats were applied; it can be shaded 
by addition of various coloring matters to-suit tha 
taste or fancy. The bridge was painted! seven 
years ago. I pass it almost weekly, and I always 
supposed it was covered with lead paint, unt.iT 
told to the contrary. 
This paint is adapted to coarse, rough, out¬ 
door-work, and out buildings—which are cover¬ 
ed with unplaned boards. There are a number 
of barns in this vicinity painted with this mix¬ 
ture ; they have a rather neat appearance in 
contrast with those not painted. The cost is 
but little, the lime can be procured for $6 to 
$9 per barrel. [Often for $1.25 to $3.00 .—Ed.] 
Those who have used it, speak well ©f it. Any 
one can put it on with a whitewash brush. 
Madison Co., N. Y. GEO, W. BaKER. 
-♦-«--'- 
For the American Agriculturist,■ 
High Manuring Pays. 
In the Spring of 1859 I planted 3 aer-es and 35* 
rods of land with potatoes, applying 125 car¬ 
man’s loads of New-York stable manure per" 
acre. The crop was remunerative, paying: the; 
cost of manure and labor. In September fol¬ 
lowing, I sowed it with Michigan Blue Stem 
Wheat, applying 800 lbs. Peruvian guano per 
acre; in the Spring of 1860 sowed clover seed. 
In July, I860, harvested the wheat; yield 117 
bushels, or at the rate of 36| bushels per acre. 
This may not be considered by some as a large 
crop, but it is quite double the quantity that I 
formerly raised upon this farm, before adopting 
the plan of high manuring. The account with 
the last crop stands as follows: 
Value of crop at $1.60 per bushel.$187 2Q 
Expenses. 
600 lbs. Peruvian guano, at $58 per ton.$17 40 
3 y, bushels seed wheat, at $1.60 . 5 60 
Team, 3 days plowing arid harrowing, $2.25 . 0 75 
Harvesting...: . 5 25 
Carting and stacking.2 50 
Threshing, cleaning, and carting grain.ll 70—$49 20 
Net gain. .$138 00 
With the land left well seeded to clover. 
Oo,, N. Y> PEO. R, UNDERHIhD 
