AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
201 
For tlie American Agriculturist. 
PREPARATION OF GROUND FOR CABBAGES. 
The writer of this would be much obliged for 
your advice, as to the best method of growing- 
cabbage, as I have had a complete failure of 
that vegetable this season. The soil I raised 
them on, was of a sandy loam nature. Last 
year I had a crop of ruta bagas on the same 
lot, and they turned out excellently. It was 
then pared and sod burnt, with ashes spread; 
afterwards a heavy coat of manure, composed 
of refuse meat, dregs of a glue kettle, lime, and 
soil, and the crop of turnips was excellent. This 
year I prepared it the same way, with the same 
manure, and planted cabbages, which, as I have 
said, failed. The preparation was the same, 
with the exception of the sod not being burnt. 
Please favor me with your advice, whether you 
think the ground has had too much animal mat¬ 
ter, as the cabbage grew large enough, but did 
not head; and thus oblige an old subscriber. 
Norwalk , C't., Nov. 7, 1853. G. M. J. 
We are much obliged for the above note from 
“ an old subscriber,” as the failure of crops is a 
very important item of knowledge to the farmer 
and gardener. The failure of cabbage to head 
may arise from degenerate seed, grown on 
stumps that never had a head. The finest 
heads should be selected for seed, and grown 
at a distance from all other members of the 
hrassica (cabbage) tribe of plants. The fail¬ 
ure may also be owing to chimp fool; but in 
this case the foliage is also deficient. It may be 
owing to some deficiency in the soil of the inor¬ 
ganic constituents of the cabbage. The cabbage 
is too near akin to the ruta baga to form a good 
succession for it; and it is possible that the 
turnips, which found plenty of potash and lime 
in the fresh burnt sod, did not leave enough of 
those elements to mature the succeeding crop 
of cabbages. The excess of ammonia in the 
manures used, would tend to stimulate the 
growth of leaves at the expense of the head. 
Meat and glue are very powerful fertilizers. The 
information our correspondent seeks will be 
found in the articles on cabbage we begin this 
week. We would recommend, in brief, however, 
that the land be subsoiled, or if he have not 
faith to do that, let him trench a few square 
rods and note the results. The soil, judging 
from the locality and the failure of the crop, 
will probably be found to be deficient in lime, 
phosphoric acid, and sulphuric acid. We have 
found marsh mud and sea weed an excellent 
dressing for cabbage ; and as he is not far from 
the Sound, let him add these to his compost 
heap in any quantities convenient to himself. 
Super-phosphate of lime, at the rate of three 
hundred pounds to the acre, may also be put 
into the heap, or be spread broad cast, and 
plowed in in the spring. 
A Chicken Story. —We have about done 
with publishing tough chicken stories, and espe¬ 
cially those relating to Shanghaes, for we think 
they have “ had their day,” and they need no 
further scribbling of ours to perpetuate their 
memory to future generations; some odd thou¬ 
sands of unsightly pictures will effectually do 
that. However, for the amusement of those who 
are especially interested in this matter, we give 
the following, which we clip from the Washing¬ 
ton County Post : 
The undersigned claims to have the best 
Shanghai fowls in the country, and certifies that 
he has one Shanghai hen that commenced lay¬ 
ing on the 20th day of January, 1853, and has 
up to this time laid 150 eggs, and hatched and 
raised three broods of chickens. He further 
certifies that one of the pullets of the first brood 
has laid 22 eggs, sat, and hatched thirteen 
chickens—the chickens were hatched the 13th 
day of October last, the mother not being quite 
eight months old when she came off the nest 
with her chickens. He further states that he has 
one cockerel of the same brood that weighs 8 lbs. 
9 ounces, and one pullet of the same brood 
that weighs 7-1 lbs., and still another, which 
weighs 8 lbs. 1 oz. These, it must be remem¬ 
bered, are all less than 8 months old. 
Now, beat these who can ! If any man can 
exhibit larger or more thrifty specimens, I will 
acknowledge myself beaten ; if not, I claim to 
have the largest, and best breed of poultry in 
the country. No exceptions are made in this 
case. Andrew Roggy. 
Cama age , Nov. 1 , 1853. 
Massachusetts Oxen. — At the Western 
Hampden Agricultural Fair, there were 50 yoke 
of oxen exhibited, the average weight of which 
was 3,594 pounds to the pair. The following 
figures show the separate weight of pairs:— 
Daniel Munson, 4,600,4,290,3,800, 8,450, 3,120; 
Seth Bush, 4,500, 4,090, 3,840, 3,740, 3,620, 
3,420; George Taylor, 4,190, 3,990; Charles 
Fowler, 4,000, 3,880, 3,880, 3,690,3,530, 3,200; 
William Noble, 3,800, 3,450, 3,770, 3,070 ; Ile- 
zekiah Taylor, 3,690, 3,660, 3,160, 3,540, 3,350, 
3,040; Luke Bush, 3,850, 3,190; George H. 
Mosely, 3,780, 3,610, 3,440; Elijah Owen, 3,450, 
3,450,3,400,3,230; Wm. Squier, 3,350; Ros¬ 
well King, 3,230 ; Town of Westfield, 3,280 ; 
Elijah Sibley, 4,000, West Springfield; Abner 
Moore, 3,800,3,590,3,190, Montgomery; Oliver 
Moore, 3,380, 3,180, do.; Moses Moore, 3,300, 
do.; Wm. Herrick, 3,280, do; O. Moore, 3,230, 
do. One pair not embraced in the above, by 
Mr. Luke Bush, estimated 5,500 pounds. 
-•«<- 
Sugar Making in Plaquemines —The Nati¬ 
onal of Plaquemines, in its issue of the 18th 
ult., speaks of the season as the most propitious 
possible for grinding, and for the granulation of 
the sugar. The planters, it adds, are not losing 
a minute, and are making every effort to bring 
their labors to a close as rapidly as possible. 
On all hands the sugar is said to be beautifully 
clear and white. M. Garr, especially, is said to 
be obtaining surprising results; and the produce 
of Mr. Felix and Hughes Villere is also said to 
be of very superior quality, such as must 
command a high price in this market. The crop 
is generally abundant, and promises a favorable 
yield. 
-- 
California Agriculture. — A gentleman in 
the vicinity of Sacramento, has succeeded this 
year in raising about an acre of tobacco, which 
crop has proved to be one of the most remune¬ 
rating of that State. The following we clip from 
the Atla: 
Cotton and Tobacco. —That both of these 
great staple products of the south may be grown 
in this country, we have ample evidence in the 
agricutural exhibition of Messrs. Warren & Son, 
where samples of cotton and tobacco are exhi¬ 
bited, the former grown on the banks of the 
Sacramento, and the other in the vicinity of 
Sonora. Both are pronounced by judges to be 
of a very superior quality. 
On the arrival of the last Oregon steamer, a 
huckster on Long Wharf purchased about five 
hundred dollars worth of apples and pears, 
which he retailed out at an average price of 
fifty cents each ; though for the best and largest 
he gets 75c. to $1 00 each. For the lot he paid 
on an average 37£c. each, all round, big and 
little, sound and specked. Grapes are in abun¬ 
dant supply, and of the finest quality; selling 
to the trade at 15c. to 20c. per lb,; retailing, 25c. 
to 37£c. per lb. 
Mr. Julius K. Rose, of this city, purchased 
within the year a rancho of about 500 acres, at 
Sonoma, (forty miles from this city,) for which 
he paid $17,000. On this rancho there is a 
vineyard of four acres, from which Mr. Rose 
has already brought to market 25,000 lbs., and 
has about 15,000 lbs. more, yet to bring in. 
This forty thousand pounds of grapes will net 
him nearly fifteen thousand dollars in cash. 
Those first brought to market sold for about $1 
per lb., down to 25c.—the quality very superior. 
Pears from the Mission Orchard at San Jose, 
have been selling in large quantities through 
the season, at 20c. per lb.; retailing at 25c. to 
30c. At these prices there is a good demand 
and a ready sale for all brought in. 
o O o- 
CLAIMS OF AGRICULTURAL PATENTS 
ISSUED FOR TnE WEEK ENDING NOV. 22, 1853. 
Cutters of Grain and Grass Harvesters— 
By W. Pierpont, of Salem, N. J.: I claim hang¬ 
ing the cutter blade at each end to a crank, so 
as to cause the rotary draw cut in form of a 
circle, as described, in combination with the 
counter rod, for insuring the perfect revolution 
of both shafts in unison. 
Grass Harvesters —By Wm. II. Hall, of 
Philippi, Ya.: I claim the tram in combination 
with the staples on the arms, as described. 
Self-Acting Presses — By S. R. Holt, of 
Worthington, Ohio : I do not claim, in general, 
the device of making the weight of the article 
pressed act as the pressing power, by making 
the press itself rise and fall on the system of 
levers or other mechanical powers. 
But I claim so arranging the lever, and pro¬ 
viding it with a self-adjusting follower in com¬ 
bination with the lever and the bed plate, with 
its supporting frame, that the motion of the 
article pressed may be transmitted to the long 
end of the lever, at or near the fixed centre of 
motion of the frame, causing the weight of the 
press and article to be pressed, to exert power 
on the follower, and thereby gradually press 
the article into a more compact and solid form, 
the power being increased when the weight of 
the article is not sufficient, by means of the 
pinion and rack bar which receive motion from 
a driving shaft, the whole being constructed, 
arranged, and operating as set forth. 
Foreign Patent.— Preparing Hemp—C. J. 
L. Cloux, of France, patentee.—The hemp, after 
being stripped, is put into a vat or tub, with a 
sufficient quantity of water to cover it. The 
water is kept at a temperature of about 50° or 
60° for 15 hours, when it is drawn off and re¬ 
placed by other water, containing 2 lbs. of soda 
and 2 lbs. of soft-soap dissolved in it, for every 
100 lbs. of hemp. The heat of this liquor may 
be 100°, or it may be boiled in it for five hours. 
The hemp is then taken out and dried in the 
open air, or in a stove room, at a low tempera¬ 
ture. When it is dry it is passed between fine 
fluted rolls, whereby it acquires the softness of 
flax without losing its original strength. This 
treatment of hemp, it is said, enables it to be 
spun like flax. 
Consumption in Philadelphia.— The Phila¬ 
delphia Sun says: As a result of the advantages 
enjoyed by our citizens on the occasion of 
Thanksgiving Days, we subjoin the following 
statistics of the amount of articles consumed on 
Thursday, which we have carefully collected ; 
375 barrels of superfine flour, used in various 
ways; 169 bushels of potatoes, baked, roasted, 
boiled, &c.; 321,652 turkeys, 456 of which 
were roasted, and upon which 25 small sacks of 
salt were used, and about 14 pounds of pepper; 
459 chickens, cooked in various ways; 396 
ducks, variously prepared; 261,021 pounds of 
butter; 260,000 pounds of cheese; 572 pound 
cakes; 291,500 loaves of bread; 450 roasting 
pigs; and there were only 160 salt mackerel. 
There were also drank 161,221 gallons of coffee, 
in which were used nearly the same number of 
quarts of milk; 760 gallons of champagne ; 300 
gallons of brandy; and in the district of 
Moyamensing alone there were drank 521 
gallons of whisky ; 760 casks of lager bieiq and 
