BWgitW H 
44 THE CULTIVATOR. 
the case we have hypothecated may be considered 
extravagant, and not likely to happen, yet it is but 
one of hundreds that may happen ; and shows what 
great public advantage may grow out of a general 
disposition to promulgate useful information in hus¬ 
bandry, through the medium of agricultural journals. 
On the Germinating of Seeds. 
Seeds often fail to grow; and the seedsman is of¬ 
ten faulted, for vending bad seeds, when the seeds are 
really good, and when the cause of their not growing 
is owing to the gardner or planter. To induce ger¬ 
mination, moisture, atmospheric air, and a certain 
temperature, are indispensable ; and it is also requi¬ 
site that light be excluded from the seed, until the 
nutriment in the seed is exhausted, or until the root 
can draw nourishment from the soil. The first effect 
of the air, heat and moisture upon the seed is, to 
change its properties—to convert its starch into 
sugar—into a sort of milky pulp, the proper food of 
the embryo plant. If at this stage the seed becomes 
dry, its vitality is believed to be destroyed ; but if 
these agents are permitted to exert their influence, 
the contents of the seed swell by degrees, and the 
first point of the future root having formed, breaks 
through the shell in a downward direction, and about 
the same time the first point of the future stem comes 
forth in an upward direction. The presence of air, 
heat and moisture are as indispensable to the growth 
of the plant, as they are to the germination of the 
seed. 
Now it often happens, that when seeds are planted 
in fresh stirred ground, or when the soil is moist, they 
undergo the incipient process of fermentation, and the 
earth not being pressed upon them, and dry weather 
ensuing, the moisture is abstracted, and the seeds pe¬ 
rish. Too much moisture is also often destructive to 
the vital principle of seeds—and others again are bu¬ 
ried too deep to be vivified by solar and atmospheric 
influence. The first object in planting, therefore, 
should be, to place the seed just so far under the sur¬ 
face, and so to cover it with earth, as shall barely se¬ 
cure to it a constant supply of moisture. There are 
many seeds, as of the carrot, parsnip, orchard grass, 
&c. which, if not previously steeped, or the soil well 
pulverized and pressed upon them, fail to grow for want 
of moisture. Hence, in sowing orchard grass, it is 
found prudent to spread it upon a floor and sprinkle it 
with water, before it is sown, and to pass a roller over 
the ground after the seed is sown. And hence, in 
light garden mould, it is advisable to press, with the 
hoe or spade, the earth upon all light seeds after they 
are sown. 
But we would draw the attention of the farmer, as 
well as of the gardner, to another mode of preventing 
failure and disappointment in the growth of certain 
seeds—and that is, by sprouting them before they are 
planted. This may be conveniently done with Indian 
corn, pumpkins, mangold wurtzel, beets, &c. on the 
farm, and with melons, cucumbers, beans, peppers, 
and a great number of other seeds which are assign¬ 
ed to the garden. The mode of doing it with the field 
seeds we have named is this; steep the seed twelve 
to twenty hours in water of a tepid or warm tempe¬ 
rature—then take off the water, and leave them in a 
warm place, covered to exclude the light and prevent 
their drying, or in a dark cellar or room, and the radi¬ 
cles or roots will shoot in a few days, and may then be 
planted without injury. Being obliged to suspend our 
planting for four days, on account of rain, we found 
our seed, which had been previously steeped, and set 
by in a dark room, with radicles two or three inches 
long. It was planted with but little inconvenience, 
and did remarkably well. Mr. J. Nott sprouted a part 
of his corn last year, while a part of the seed was not 
sprouted—and what is worthy the particular notice of 
the farmer, he assures us that the sprouted corn was not 
injured by the wire-worm, while the unsteeped seed ivas 
seriously injured, although planted by the side of each 
other. Mr. Nott accounts for the difference in this 
way: The wire-worm attacks the chit, and feeds up¬ 
on and destroys the germ; but the radicles having 
protruded, and not being to the taste of the worm, the 
insect attacked the solid part of the kernel, where its 
progress was too slow, and too remote from the germ, 
to retard its growth. Mr. Nott also sprouted his 
mangold wurtzel seed, and planted it so late as the 
27th June. Almost every seed grew, and the crop 
might be called a good one early in September. 
To sprout garden seeds, procure two sods, of equal 
size, say eighteen inches square ; lay one down in the 
corner of the kitchen chimney, grass down ; lay your 
seeds upon it, if small wrap them in a piece of brown 
paper; then place the other sod upon them, grass up 
.—water well with warm water, and the seeds will 
sprout in twenty-four to forty-eight hours. 
There is one manifest advantage in sprouting seeds 
—it tests their goodness, and shows whether they 
will or will not grow. A small quantity of seed corn, 
submitted to this test before planting, would in many 
instances prevent great loss to the farmer. 
What quantity of Manure should he applied to 
the Acre ? 
The answer to this question involves many consi¬ 
derations which preclude a definitive reply—such as 
the condition of the land, the quality of the manure, 
and the kind of crop. Too much, as well as too little 
manure may be applied. What would be beneficial 
for an autumn-ripening, or hoed crop, would be preju¬ 
dicial to a small grain, or summer-ripening crop, and 
more particularly if the manure is applied in an unfer¬ 
mented state, and be withal a waste of fertihzing mat¬ 
ter. Twenty tons to the acre would not be too much 
for corn, potatoes, ruta baga, &c. if applied broad¬ 
cast, and ploughed in; but if long manure, and appli¬ 
ed in the drill, or hill, and a dry season should ensue, 
it might prove an injury ; and if this quantity of long, 
or even short manure, were applied to the acre of 
small spring grain, it would probably cause a flush of 
straw, likely to be affected with rust, at the expense 
of the more valuable part—the grain. Dr. Coventry, 
ate professor of agriculture in the University of Edin- 
jurgh, whose business and study it was to collect 
data, and make correct deductions in this and other 
agricultural matters, was of the opinion, that from 
four to five tons are yearly requisite to keep up the 
fertility of a soil, of the kind usually denominated spit, 
or tolerably rotted dung ; and this supply he thinks a 
well managed farm may be made to produce. To 
show how this quantity may be obtained, and how it 
should be applied, we quote from Mr. Youatt, the 
writer of British Husbandry. 
“According to that calculation,” says our author, “it 
must be observed, that the course of crops is supposed 
to consist—on light soils, of the alternate plan of corn 
and green crops, [see New System of Husbandry,]—on 
clays, which do not admit of that system, that the hold¬ 
ing contain a proportionate quantity of grass land; 
and that the quantity of manure should be suppli¬ 
ed, not in small quantities annually, but in large ones, 
at intermediate distances of four, five and' six years. 
Light soils, in the common course of husbandry, rare¬ 
ly require the application of putrescent manure often- 
er than once in four years, and in all cases where the 
clover is allowed to stand two seasons, it may be defer¬ 
red without disadvantage for another year. Heavy soils 
may run six years without it, provided that the land be 
laid one year in fallow, and that there be sufficient mea¬ 
dow to be reckoned at least one crop in the course. It 
being, however, clearly understood, that—whether on 
light or heavy land—nothing but grain, seeds and live 
stock is to be sold off the farm, unless replaced with an 
equal portion of purchased dung; that the whole of the 
green crops, the haulm of pulse, and the straw of corn, 
be used in the most economical manner; and that some 
of the live stock be either soiled or fattened upon oil 
cake: which plan, if carefully pursued on good soils, 
with capital sufficient to secure an abundant working 
and fattening stock of cattle, ought, under fair manage¬ 
ment, to furnish an adequate supply of dung for any of 
the usual courses of culture.” 
“ Having thus submitted to our readers all that oc¬ 
curs to us of importance on the subject of farm-yard 
manure, we shall here recapitulate a summary ot the 
chief points which we deem particularly worthy of 
their consideration: 
1. To bottom the farm-yard with furze, fern fin 
Yankee dialect brake,] dry haulm, [stubble, &c.] or 
any other loose refuse that takes the longest time to 
dissolve ; and over that to bed it deep with straw. 
2. To occasionally remove the cribs of store cattle 
to different parts of the straw yard, in order that their 
dung may be dropped, and their litter trodden, equal¬ 
ly- 
3. To spread the dung of other animals, when 
thrown into the yards, in equal layers over every part. 
4. To remove the dung from the yard at least once, 
or oftener, during the winter, to the mixen. 
5. To turn and mix all dung-hills, until the woody 
or fibrous texture of the matter contained in them, 
and the roots and seeds of weeds, be completely de¬ 
composed, and until they emit a foul putrid smell; by 
which time they reach their greatest degree of 
strength, and arrive at the state of spit-dung. 
6. To keep the dung in an equal state of moisture, 
so as to prevent any portion of the heap from becom¬ 
ing fire-fanged. If the fermentation be too rapid, 
heavy watering will abate the heat; but it will after¬ 
wards revive with increased force, unless the heap be 
either trodden firmly down or covered with mould to 
exclude the air. 
7. To ferment the dung, if to be laid upon arable 
land during the autumn, in a much less degree than 
that to be applied before a spring sowing. 
8. To lay a larger quantity on cold and wet lands 
than on those of a lighter nature ; because the former 
require to be corrected by the warmth of the dung, 
while, on dry, sandy, and gravelly soils, the applica¬ 
tion of too much dung is apt to burn up the plants. 
Stiff land will also be loosened by the undecayed fibres 
of long dung, which, although its putrefaction will 
thus be retarded, and its fertilizing power delayed, 
will yet ultimately afford nourishment. 
9. To form composts with dung, or other animal and 
vegetable substances, and earth, for application to 
light soils. 
10. To spread the manure upon the land, when 
carried to the field, with the least possible delay ; 
and, if laid upon arable, to turn it immediately into the 
soil. 
11. To preserve the drainage from stables and 
dung-hills in every possible way ; and if not applied 
in a liquid state, to throw it again upon the mixen. 
12. To try experiments, during a series of years, 
upon the same soils and crops, with equal quantities of 
dung, laid on fresh, and afterwards rotted ; in order 
to ascertain the results of their application to the land. 
The whole quantity to be first weighed or measured, 
and then divided. 
“ The fermentation of farm-yard manure is, in fact, 
a subject of far greater importance than is generally 
imagined, for on a due estimation of its value mainly 
depends the individual success, as well as the nation¬ 
al prosperity, of our agriculture. The experiments 
to which we point cannot, therefore, fail to come home 
to the interests of every man; they may be made 
without expense, and without any other trouble than 
the mere exercise of common observation and intelli¬ 
gence. Leaving, however, aside the discussion con¬ 
cerning the disputed worth of fresh or fermented—of 
long or short dung,—let the farmer sedulously bend 
his attention to the accumulation of the utmost quan¬ 
tity that it may be in his power to procure. The 
manner and the time of using it, in either state, must, 
however, be governed by circumstances which may 
not always be within his control; and every judicious 
husbandman will rather accommodate himself to the 
exigency of the case than adhere strictly to his own 
notions of what he conceives to be the best practice. 
In fine, whether favoring the one or the other side of 
the question, let him collect all he can ; apply it care¬ 
fully to his crops ; and then, trusting to events,—“ let 
the land and the muck settle it.” 
On Stall Feeding Cattle. 
In the management of our cattle, as in the manage¬ 
ment of our crops, much is' lost for want of system 
and regularity. The stall feeding of neat cattle for 
the butcher is annually increasing, and promises to in¬ 
crease in interest as we progress in the culture of 
roots. There is probably a difference of one-third to 
one-half, in the profits of the business, whether it is 
well or badly managed. Under this view of its im¬ 
portance, we extract from the Farmer’s Series, the 
following compendium of the management recom¬ 
mended in that work, although it be not precisely the 
season to apply the instructions which it conveys : 
“ The first point is the comfort of accommodation; for 
in whatever way they may be placed—whether under 
sheds or in close ox-houses,—they should have the se¬ 
curity of perfect shelter from the weather, with a cer¬ 
tain degree of warmth; that is to say—if in open ham- 
mels, the sheds should be broad, the roof low, and the 
floor well covered with an abundance of dry litter. We 
are, however, decidedly of opinion, that close walls will 
further the object more promptly; though we do not co¬ 
incide in the idea that it will be promoted by too much 
heat; and we should therefore recommend a moderate 
degree of healthful ventilation. In these stalls litter is, 
indeed, very frequently dispensed with,—or else sand, 
or any rubbish, is substituted for straw; but there can 
be no doubt that the animals enjoy the comfort of a dry 
bed as well as their master, and the more they seek re¬ 
pose in it the better. 
“ The next, is strict regularity in the administration of 
food—both as regards the stated quantity, and the time 
of supplying it. The periods may be regulated as the 
feeder thinks proper; but, whenever adopted, should 
never be afterwards altered. The ox is a quiet animal, 
and those which are fed in the house soon acquire a pre¬ 
cise knowledge of the exact hour at which it is usually 
given: jj? that be transgressed, or the customary quan¬ 
tity be not furnished, they become restless, but if the 
time and quantity be strictly adhered to, they remain 
tranquil until the next period arrives. If no disturbance 
takes place, they, indeed, then generally lie down to ru¬ 
minate, and nothing will be found more to forward the 
process of fatting than this perfect quietude ; wherefore, 
should not only the stalls be well bedded, but light 
should be very much excluded, the doors should be 
closed, all outward annoyance as far as possible pre¬ 
vented—and, in short, every means should be induced 
to promote complete rest, ease, and contentment. 
Some persons serve it out as often as five times a day; 
but the most prudent, and we think the better practice, 
is to give it as soon as possible after day light, at noon, 
and some time before sunset; which enables the ani¬ 
mals to fill their bellies; and to have time sufficient for 
that quiet digestion which is interrupted by too frequent 
feeding. In stating that the quantity should be mode¬ 
rate, we however alluded merely to the not allowing the 
animal to have so much as will cloy him; he ought al¬ 
ways to have as much as he can fairly eat with a relish, 
but the moment he begins to toss. it about, it will bp 
then evident that the keenness of his appetite is satisfi¬ 
ed, and it should be instantly removed. 
“ The last is thorough cleanliness. The ox house 
should be opened before day light, and well cleaned, 
both by pail and broom, from every impurity. After 
