18 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[January, 
hold the mill from creeping while in operation. 
It has this advantage, that on an uneven barn 
floor, the steadiness of the mill may be secured by 
turning do,vn the rods to suit the floor, and thus 
raising that end of the mill when necessary. 
The Use of Artificial Fertilizers. 
There is no doubt that we too much neglect the 
use of artificial fertilizers. It requires considerable 
faith, it must be admitted, for a farmer to commit 
his seed to the ground, helped only by a mere 
handful of what he has hitherto known perhaps as 
a drug, useful as a material for manufacturing gun¬ 
powder, or as a medicine, and look for a profitable 
crop in return. It has been the custon to c—.^ider 
bulk as an important element in manuring, and 
several cords or numerous wagon-loads of manure 
per acre as being only a moderate supply. To de¬ 
pend upon a few hundred pounds of artificial fertil¬ 
izers to the acre is too great an innovation to 
become immediately popular. Nevertheless, we 
believe that the practice of using chemical fertiliz¬ 
ers will soon become very prevalent. Farmers in 
other countries use hundreds and thousands of tons 
yearly of these fertilizers with profit. In fact, if 
the supply were to be suddenly cut off, it would 
cause much distress amongst European farmers, 
and ruin thousands of them. A not uncommon 
ease is one of a Scotch farmer who applied 100 tons 
of guano in one year upon a 600-acre farm. 
The use ui artificial fertilizers can only grow 
slowly, because it is altogether a matter of experi¬ 
ment, and a farmer dare not try extensive experi¬ 
ments when failure would be ruinous. But care¬ 
ful trials, from which much may be learned, are 
being made more extensively every year. One 
very notable experiment in growing corn was made 
last season by Dr. E. L. Sturtevant, of Massachu¬ 
setts, which may serve as an example for many 
similar trials next season ; we learn that a number 
of farmers in Dr. S.’s neighborhood, who watched 
his proceedings last year very closely, are prepared 
to follow his method to a large extent the coming 
season. The experiments were made under the 
supervision of the Essex County (Mass.) Agricul¬ 
tural Society, and the results were verified by a 
committee appointed for that purpose. The state¬ 
ments are therefore entirely trustworthy. A field 
of 8 acres of gravelly loam was chosen. It had 
been in sod since 1872, and the previous crop of 
hay was but half a ton to the acre. The sod was 
plowed in May last, 7 inches deep, then harrowed, 
and three-eighths of the mixed fertilizer spread 
broadcast. The land was then marked both ways, 
in rows 38 inches apart, and over the places where 
the rows crossed each other, the remaining five- 
eighths of the fertilizer was scattered upon the 
surface. The fertilizer consisted of 199 lbs. of su¬ 
perphosphate of lime, 401 lbs. of sulphate of am¬ 
monia, 151 lbs. of muriate of potash, and 110 lbs. 
of sulphate of potash, per acre. This mixture 
(which according to modern nomenclature consist¬ 
ed of a calcium phosphate, ammonium sulphate, 
potassium chloride, and potassium sulphate) was 
calculated to supply the quantity of nitrogen, pot¬ 
ash, and phosphoric acid for a crop of 65 bushels of 
corn per acre. The com was planted the last of 
May, and grew slowly but healthily, and on August 
8 tli the fodder was so luxuriant as to cause fears 
that the yield of grain would be light. The crop 
was cut on the 17tlx of Sept. The expenditure per 
acre up to this time was as follows : 
For fertilizers. '. $27 46 
Seed . 30 
Husking at 10 cents per bushel. 8 25 
Hauling to the barn.. . . . . . 7 20 
Total cost per acre .$55 88 
The yield as measured and reported by the com¬ 
mittee, was 165 bushels of ears, equal to 821 bushels 
of shelled corn, per acre. There were 4 tons 240 
lbs. of fodder per acre, valued at $8 per ton, equal 
to $33, which deducted from the cost, left $22.88 as 
the cost of the 82i bushels of corn, or 271 cents per 
bushel. Two strips through the field were left 
without any fertilizer. The produce from these 
strips was equal to 21 e / 10 bushels per acre. This 
represents the natural yield of the land, and leaves 
the balance, or 60 7 / JO bushels as the yield or effect 
of the fertilizers. This 60 7 /io bushels of corn there¬ 
fore cost a sum equal to the cost of the fertilizers 
used, and the cost of harvesting, husking, and 
handling. As a comparison between the effects of 
this artificial fertilizer and good barnyard manure, 
another experiment was made. A field was plowed 
in May, harrowed and manured with 5>/ 2 cords, or 
12 two-liorse wagon loads of 50 bushels each per 
acre, of almost clear cow-d*iug, and planted with 
corn in hills 38 inches apart. The total cost of the 
crop was $62.06 per acre. The yield was 5 tons of 
fodder worth $40, and 100 bushels of shelled corn, 
(measured by the committee), per acre. The corn 
thus cost 22 cents per bushel. A portion of the 
field left unmanured yielded at the rate of 68 3 / 4 
bushels of corn per acre, leaving the balance of 
31’/ 4 bushels per acre as due to the effect of the 
manure. But as there would be a large portion of 
the value of the manure still left in the soil, an 
equivalent reduction should be made in the cost of 
this latter crop, which would considerably lessen 
the cost of the corn per bushel. The experiment 
with the artificial fertilizers is very suggestive. 
The short supply of manure is the greatest source 
of trouble amongst farmers. If the present inade¬ 
quate supply can be profitably helped out by ar¬ 
tificial fertilizers, and the means of purchasing 
and the skill to properly use them are available, 
there will be no longer any reason to complain of a 
deficiency of manure. 
Curing Hams and Pork. 
“G. W. D.,” Ocean Co., New Jersey, writes: 
“ When a slice from a ham has to be par-boiled, or 
soaked over night, it was not properly cured ; this 
treatment makes it dry and hard, and deprives it of 
all its flavor. I have had many years experience in 
curing large quantities of hams, and have had the 
reputation of knowing “howto do it.” For 100 
pounds of meat take 7 lbs. ground rock salt; 5 lbs. 
clean brown sugar; 2 oz. pure salt petre ; % oz. 
pearl ash or saleratus, and 4 gallons pure soft 
water. Put all in a proper vessel over the fire, and 
before it comes to a boil, commence skimming, and 
continue until all impurities have risen to the sur¬ 
face ; when done properly, the pickle will be per¬ 
fectly clear and pure. If a potato or an egg will 
float in it, it is all right, if not add more salt. 
Hams should be left undisturbed for 3 or 4 days 
after killing—hung up in an airy place. 
Now take one gallon of sweet molasses, 2 oz. 
salt petre, and 4 quarts fine ground salt, thoroughly 
mix them, and with a wooden paddle cover the 
hams, skin and flesh side alike. Lay them skin 
down for 3 or 4 days, and not touching each other, 
if it can be avoided. At the end of this time they 
will be ready for the pickle. Put in the bottom of 
a good sweet barrel, a layer of rock salt, half to 
three-quarters of an inch deep, pack the hams 
closely, cover with pickle, and weight down. 
Serve pork in the same way, but put a sprinkling of 
salt between the layers. Hams weighing 10 to 14 
lbs., should remain in pickle about 5 weeks, those 
from 15 to 20 lbs., 6 or 7 weeks. 
In smoking use corn-cobs, hickory, maple or 
beech. Now take marlin, or tarred rope yarn, tie 
one piece around the shank, another around the 
thick part, and passing still another lengthwise, 
looping to each. Make a loop to hang up by with 
shank down—this prevents cracking in a great 
degree, and retains the juices inside the skin. I 
need hardly say that no heated smoke should reach 
the hams. I believe this rock salt possesses pre¬ 
servative qualities not found in common sea salt. 
It costs about 30 cents per bushel. [This last 
statement would be better expressed by saying that 
sea salt contains substances which rock-salt does 
not. —Ed.] 
The End of Oleo-Margarine.— From the first 
appearance in this country of the material intended 
to be sold as butter, and to be used to adulterate 
cheese, known as oleo-margarine, the American 
Agriculturist has cautioned its readers against either 
entering into the manufacture of the stuff, or 
using it in any manner in adulterating dairy pro¬ 
ducts. We took this course, feeling certain that a 
manufacture which could not bear the stamp of its 
true character upon its face, could not be honest, 
nor could it in the end be profitable. Our warnings 
are justified by the result which now appears in 
the shape of suits, judgments, and executions, 
against the “ Oleo-margarine Manufacturing Com¬ 
pany,” in the New York Marine Court, for wages 
due to the employees, and for money loaned. The 
company being without assets, judgments have 
been obtained against the stockholders individually, 
amongst whom we regret to see the names of per¬ 
sons whose reputations helped to give life to the 
concern, and who now are called upon to pay their 
share of its funeral. This company commenced 
operations in October, 1873, and in December of 
that year the American Agriculturist first called 
attention to the objectionable character of its pro¬ 
duct. Since then the American Grocer and the 
Boston Cultivator have joined in opposition to it, but 
some other journals have supported it. Strangely 
enough the most active of these have been closely 
identified with the dairy interest. It is unfortunate 
for this interest that it should have been so mis¬ 
represented, for the failure at least shows that 
dairymen have very wisely let the “ oleo-margarine” 
alone, to at least a very large extent. 
Iron in Agriculture. —Every year the use of 
iron in the manufacture of implements, is extend¬ 
ing. The best mowers now are made without a 
particle of wood about them, except the tongue 
and whiffletrees. But iron might be usefully em¬ 
ployed to a greater extent than it now is, in the 
furniture of bam buildings and implements in 
every day use. Feed troughs of all kinds, racks 
and mangers, gutters, drains, gate posts and gates, 
fencing, wheelbarrows, and many other things now 
made of wood, would be much more durable and 
economical if made of iron. The cost would be 
more at first, but a set of iron furniture in the sta¬ 
bles, barns, pens, and yards, would not need re¬ 
placing in a lifetime. 
Potato Beetles in Winter Quarters.— On 
passing through a potato stubble recently, we saw a 
large flock of crows very busy on the loose ground. 
The owner of the field had before stated that the 
Colorado beetles had descended upon his crop in 
immense numbers, but being too late to do any 
damage, he had not disturbed them. On examina¬ 
tion we found a good many of the beetles lying 
dormant in the loose soil, and numberless places 
where the crows had dug up the ground. Evident¬ 
ly the crows were feasting upon the beetles, and it 
would doubtless be an excellent thing to give the 
crows ample opportunity to feast all they want to. 
As a help we would suggest a light plowing of 
potato ground at this season, to expose the beetles. 
Plastic Instinct of Hens. 
Since the philosophers and naturalists have taken 
more to observation, and less to speculation about 
animal instincts and faculties, the subject has 
gained in interest. For one thing it is clear that 
they have not the fixed and unalterable character at¬ 
tributed to them by the books. “ Animals can learn 
what they did not know by instinct, and forget the 
instinctive knowledge which they never learned, 
while their instincts will often accommodate them¬ 
selves to considerable changes.” Mr. Spalding, in 
England, has done more than any one else in our 
days to make this clear. Mr. Romanes, in Scot¬ 
land, has followed this up, in a recent No. of Nature, 
with an account of some curious experiments. To 
hatch duck’s eggs under a common hen is a well- 
known practice, and successful, though the lieu has 
to set a week longer than on her own eggs. Mr. 
Spalding tried to find out how the hen would take 
to a shortening of the process. 
“ Two hens became broody on the same day, and 
