REVIEW OF THE JANUARY NUMBER OF THE AGRICULTURIST. 
11 
showed that the 11 woodman spared that tree,” when 
the original forest was swept away by the axe in 
“ auld lang syne.” I love the grandeur of these old 
trees, the landmarks of an age and people whose very 
existence is fast fading from the recollection of the 
present generation. I like very much the notice, 
coming, as it does, from' an Englishman, of those 
“ American cottages.” When I was last on the 
farm of Mr. Ayrault, they were not built; but the 
old oaks were there, and I hope no barbarian will 
ever remove them, while nature continues to clothe 
them in the green leaves of summer. It is said 
that tastes differ; but I say that any man who would 
destroy one of these old trees, or disfigure a fine 
natural landscape, with such “ rude attempts at 
architecture,” as Mr. Sotham speaks of, are utterly 
destitute of taste—they have none to differ with. 
Mr. S. says, “ it is impossible to keep lands in con¬ 
dition without sheep and cattle.” Not so. Judi¬ 
cious culture, proper rotation, turning in of green 
crops, lime, plaster, ashes, and artificial manures 
will keep land in good condition without cattle or 
sheep. Though I am free to acknowledge that 
stock are much the most profitable manure makers, 
upon nearly all farms. 
Guano. —This statement is conclusive as to the 
cheap fertilizing properties of guano. A fact that 
I never doubted. How could I, when it consists of 
ammonia and phosphate of lime ? But I still reite¬ 
rate the question, is it necessary to go to Peru after 
these substances ? 
Season for Felling Resinous Timber. —Here is a 
text that ought to be reiterated and well studied. 
“ In cutting,timber of all kinds, advantage should 
be taken of the season which will favor their dura¬ 
tion and strength.” No general directions can be 
given as to the right time to cut timber that will 
suit all this country, and all kinds'of timber. A 
very valuable article might be made, which would 
give a short sketch of each kind of tree, and the 
proper time for felling it for timber, and also for de¬ 
struction, in different parts of the United States, 
where our climate is so diversified, and timber 
known by so many different names. [It cannot be 
done, Captain. Experiments have never been 
made with sufficient care to compile such an article.] 
Remarks on the Principles of Breeding.—I have 
ever been of the opinion, notwithstanding the good 
results of cross-breeding, that a good animal should 
not be set aside for relationship alone; but that, 
breeding in-and-in, with good stock, is better than 
breeding out, till all the good points are out. The 
remarks upon keeping breeding mothers too fat are 
very correct. It is a foolish waste of food. There 
are some sows, however, that it is very difficult to 
keep sufficiently low in flesh, while breeding, as 
they seem to have, at that time, a natural tendency 
to take on fat. Color, it is said, in this article, is 
hereditary, and cannot be got rid of, except by 
crossing. It strikes me that I read somewhere, 
when I was a boy, of a certain young man who 
was tending the flocks of an old fellow, who had 
a daughter that he wished to marry, succeeding 
pretty well in changing the color by an exhibition 
of “ peeled sticks ;” though he might have set them 
crosswise; and hence the name of u cross-breeding.” 
Beware of the Ring Bone. —I only notice this ar¬ 
ticle, to approve of standing, not only colts, but all 
kinds of horses upon earth floors. In order to make 
them, take stiff clay, and, if convenient, mix with 
it as much gravel, and moisten as can conveniently 
be done, and make the stable floor of this, a foot' 
higher than the ground outside, by pounding it in 
the most solid manner, and a little sloping, so as to 
carry the water off. It will last a long time, and is 
much better than a plank floor. 
The Cotton Crop. —It appears to me that these 
calculations every year, as to what this great crop 
is going to be, is about one half of it guess work. 
No doubt the information of Dr. Philips is such as 
will enable him to guess as well as anybody else ; 
but who can tell before it is too late to "profit by it. 
whether he has guessed right or not ? The calcu¬ 
lations and directions of the Dr. how to make the 
Mississippi cotton lands produce from 300 to 500 
pounds more to the acre than they now do, is all 
very good, but it would be vastly better for all the 
cotton planters, if he could tell them how to pro¬ 
duce one half the quantity that they now do for 
ten years, unless they will manufacture some of the 
surplus at home. Suppose, under the present sys¬ 
tem, the crop should be increased 50 per cent., and 
the New-Orleans market crowded with 1,800,000 
bales every year. Would the planter obtain any 
more money than he now does, or did, when the 
crop was only half its present size ? If not. why 
increase it ? 
Cheap Method of Fattening Poultry. —“ Good 
enough to sell.” I have heard of a plan for fatten¬ 
ing hogs upon this cheap system. Confine three 
hogs in a slip so narrow that they cannot turn 
round. Feed the first on whole corn, and he 
merely will grind it for the second, which will beat 
the first in fattening, while the third will make as 
good pork as the first. Whether the plan could be 
carried out any further by confining a goose, duck, 
or hen, in a row behind, lam not able to say, nor 
what would be the quality of the meat. 
Steam Power for Agricultural Purposes. —So 
your recent “ English papers” have brought you a 
description of a “ Steam Excavator.” I wonder if 
it is Page’s ditching machine, of Baltimore ; or 
has some other Yankee gone over to England to 
get in operation a machine that his own country¬ 
men failed to appreciate ? Excavating machines 
have been at work, in this country, many years, the 
principle of which is undoubtedly the same as this. 
Truly, there is no need of importing such a ma¬ 
chine, if our people are disposed to patronize Yan¬ 
kee invention. 
Upland , or Mountain Rice. —Will this grain grow 
at the north, and how far? Has anybody ever 
tried “ hulled wheat,” as a substitute for rice ? 
And if so, how does anybody, and his wife, -ike 
the substitute ? 
The Best Manure for Sugar Cane. —If the trash 
is*burnt upon the land, will it benefit the plant any¬ 
thing like as much as plowing it in ? When I was 
in the south, some twenty years ago, the common 
practice was, to set fire to the trash, and burn it as 
it lay spread over the ground. I wish some of 
your southern correspondents would enlighten us 
upon this subject. Another thing—what becomes 
of the cane stalks after the juice is extracted? 
Are they used for manure or for fuel ? [They are 
sometimes plowed under, but generally are burnt or 
