338 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
tity would be quite as beneficial to them. It is 
needless to say, that the manure made by the 
straw so expended, would be worth five times 
as much as that made by the same straw rotting 
in the yard, and exhaling its gases away in the 
sun. Here is straw, thus treated, at a cost of 
two dollars a ton, serving the purpose of hay at 
fifteen, and one ton of hay sold, will furnish the 
mill-feed for fifteen tons of straw. Now, this is 
an instance in which a farmer can dispose of 
hay, or a part of it, to the enrichment of his 
farm, by consuming the coarse fodder, instead 
of wasting it. 
For several years past we have been in 
the habit of consuming every thing in the 
shape of straw—even to that of beans and 
buckwheat—which the farm produced, together 
with the coarsest grass from the marsh. Cut 
in the machine, with a little mill-feed, all horses, 
cattle, and sheep, will eat it in preference to the 
best of English hay, and, in equal quantity, 
thrive better upon it. There is one argument 
in favor of hay cutting, that most people do not 
appear at all to consider. That is, the labor of 
grinding and ruminating the long feed by the 
animal consuming it, over that of the cut-feed. 
A creature will eat and put into its stomach 
twenty pounds of cut-feed in one-third the time 
it will do twenty pounds of uncut hay, straw, 
or stalks. Straw, from its hard, dry, and taste¬ 
less quality, if confined to it, stock will scarcely 
eat at all, hunger only driving them to it; and 
corn stalks must be very fresh, and well cured, 
to be inviting food. Even the best hay is better 
and more palatable to stock when cut than un¬ 
cut. The animal eats its cut food, lies down, 
rests, and ruminates the whole mass, in nearly 
the same time that it is eating the long hay, 
or straw. The expenditure of saliva, and of 
muscular strength in the latter is enormously 
greater than in the former, which waste of 
saliva and labor, an additional quantity of food 
must be taken to supply. Yet this is scarcely 
ever thought of by the farmer. It would ap- 
appear, by the almost universal practice over 
the country, that time expended in feeding 
stock is considered as next to being lost, by 
the manner in which the forage is thrown out, 
and the mean appearance of the cattle con¬ 
suming it. 
Wherever hay is worth seven dollars a 
ton, and mangers are provided to feed it in, 
it will pay for cutting up for cattle. Good 
hay needs no meal on it, except for fattening 
animals, and for these we would always recom¬ 
mend it. Finely cut hay, passing into the 
stomach with the meal, expands the glands of 
the digestive organs, fills out their various parts, 
and invigorates their action. The nearer the 
state of their food can be kept to a natural 
course of feeding, provided it be sufficiently nu¬ 
tritious, the more rapidly will the animal take 
on flesh, and the higher its health. Indeed, we 
are quite satisfied from observation and practi¬ 
cal experience, that taking the country together, 
one-third of the winter forage is absolutely lost 
in the general heedlessness with which it is ex¬ 
pended, and not a spoonful more of manure 
saved in consequence of this enormous waste. 
Double Pun.-— A clergyman had just united 
in marriage a couple whose Christian names 
were respectively Benjamin, and Ann. “ IIow 
did they appear during the ceremony ?” inquired 
a friend. “ They appeared both annie-mated 
and bennie-fitted," was the ready reply. 
--- 
NEW-YORK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Fifth Conversational Meeting. Mr. J. C. 
Parsons in the chair. 
M. Victor Motschulsky, Commissioner from 
St. Petersburg to the World’s Fair, presented 
several packets of Melon and Cucumber seeds, 
to be disposed of by the Society. 
The Cultivation of the Camellia was the sub¬ 
ject for discussion. Propagation having been 
disposed of, the proper soil and manure was 
taken up. 
D. Boll. I use a soil composed of two-thirds 
fresh loam, with one-third rock mold ; that is, 
decayed leaves, weeds, and other vegetable mat¬ 
ter, similar to what is commonly called leaf 
mold. I add a little coarse sand or charcoal, the 
latter is not absolutely necessary. This com¬ 
post has succeeded well with me. In other sec¬ 
tions of the country experienced cultivators are 
equally successful with a soil entirely loam. 
Such a soil I should consider too heavy for us 
in this latitude, though it may suit Philadelphia. 
Loam, mixed with black soil, is more porous 
and not liable to rot the roots which are easily 
injured in this way. Black soil is more used in 
Europe than in this country. With regard to 
manures I advise that very little of any kind be 
used, the less the better. I prefer cow manure 
and horn-shavings dissolved and applied in a 
liquid state, in small quantities and in the grow¬ 
ing season. I use none in the dormant season. 
Guano is applied by some ; I would not risk its 
use. One of the choicest collections in the coun¬ 
try, once the admiration of all who beheld them, 
has been destroyed by using it injudiciously. I 
never apply it and have no desire to do so. 
M. Motschulsky. A similar result followed 
its use in Germany. 
D. Boll. Red spider is the greatest pest of 
Camellia growers; it is more destructive in this 
country than in Europe. If not checked it 
soon destroys the foliage, changing it to a red¬ 
dish-brown color. I syringe the plants and 
then sprinkle flower of sulphur, which destroys 
them. Sulphur, I think, has also a beneficial 
effect on the soil; I often scatter a portion over 
the surface of the pots, and it is washed into the 
soil by the water. 
P. B. Mead. It would not become me to dif¬ 
fer with so experienced a cultivator as Mr. Boll. 
I will state the compost I use for my Camellias. 
Four parts rotted sod not fully decomposed, in 
such a state that it will break easily, and may be 
passed through a coarse sieve, two parts humus 
or vegetable mold, one part manure, and one 
charcoal or sand. The manure stimulates the 
growth of the young plant. I also use a little 
artificial manure, generally guano, but with cau¬ 
tion, I dissolve it, and when it settles use the 
clear liquid. In potting I leave space on the 
surface of the soil for just so much water as will 
wet the ball without any passing out at the bot¬ 
tom. 
D. Boll. At what season do you use guano ? 
P. B. Mead. When the buds arc about two- 
thirds swelled, to assist in expanding them. I 
do not use it in the growing season, as it would 
stimulate the growth of wood. 
A. Reed agreed with what had been said as 
to soil and manure, and made some remarks 
upon the state of the roots of some plants, and 
the deceitful appearance of the top, when com¬ 
pared with the quantity of roots attached. He 
spoke of the injury sustained by impure air in 
causing the buds to drop, and the difficulty ex¬ 
perienced by florists from the necessity of 
crowding the plants too much, which spoiled 
their shape. 
D. Boll. Half the roots are sometimes rotted 
and yet they are not cut off, and the plant is 
overpotted. The roots should be closely ex¬ 
amined, and the decayed portion removed. The 
soil should then be washed from about the re¬ 
mainder, in a tub of water, and placed in a pot 
of fresh soil. Sudden changes of temperature 
cause the buds to drop. The Camellia will 
stand a great degree of cold; a plant of the Sin¬ 
gle Red has stood out in my garden for the last 
four years, blooming freely each spring. I be¬ 
lieve double varieties would also prove hardy if 
well protected from the sun in summer. 
The sun injures them more than frost. In 
a northern aspect, by a wall or other protection, 
they would stand well and bloom freely if 
shaded, and the ground drained properly. 
C. More stated that by using more black 
mold, he could produce a greater bloom, from 
small plants, and it was an object with commer¬ 
cial growers to keep the plants small, for want 
of house room. 
P. B. Mead. I consider a northern aspect, 
which is generally recommended by writers, 
the very worst. I have seen much healthier 
specimens grown in those exposed to the south 
and east. This is the case with Caleb Cope’s 
collection; his Camellias appeared to me in a 
worse condition than any other plants in his 
collection. The house has a northern expos¬ 
ure. The advantage of the morning sun is very 
great, and for that reason an eastern exposure 
is preferable, or even a southern, if the glass is 
coated with white lead and linseed oil. There 
is a great diversity of opinion as to summer 
treatment of the Camellia; some prefer keeping 
their plants housed, and I agree with them; 
others advocate placing them out doors. By 
keeping them in the house they flower earlier, 
and there is less trouble in attending to them. 
Out doors they are exposed to sudden changes, 
heavy rains, and other unfavorable circum¬ 
stances. 
D. Boll. I differ entirely with Mr. Mead on 
this point. 
I have invariably placed my plants out doors 
in the summer, in a proper situation, and they 
have done well. Their foliage is vigorous and 
healthy ; the buds stronger and more numer¬ 
ous. They must, of course, be attended to, and 
protected from heavy rains. 
This branch of the subject created some dis¬ 
cussion, which was participated in by Messrs. 
Reed, Suttle, Boll and Mead. 
The Azalea was chosen as the next plant for 
discussion. 
Mr. Wilson G. Hunt suggested that the meet¬ 
ings should not be held so frequently; they 
would then be better attended. This was con¬ 
curred in by the majority of those present. 
The Chair thought the press had not given 
sufficient publicity to their proceedings, but ad¬ 
mitted that it was because they were not well 
attended, so as to make them of sufficient in¬ 
terest to the public. 
The next Conversational Meeting will be held 
on the 20 th of February. 
