78 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
profitable, and the farmer discouraged. You are no 
doubt ready to denounce these practices as bad, yet 
there are two causes, (and perhaps more) which go to 
confirm them; the customs of our fore fathers, having 
forgot that it has fallen to our lot to renovate a worn 
out soil, and the want of sufficient capital. With re¬ 
gard to my own practice, I must confess, I am robbing 
my land of its just dne every year for the want of ca¬ 
pital. Every ton of hay and straw, and every bushel 
of grain which I raise, should be consumed on the farm 
for ten years to come, at least. I am of opinion that had 
I kept all my produce of last year, ground the grain, 
and chopped the hay and straw, I could have kept twice 
the stock, and this rule may be applied to all my neigh¬ 
bors. 
With regard to the foregoing remarks there are per¬ 
haps some exceptions, yet they apply to New-Scotland 
too generally. It is evident, then, our condition, as 
farmers, needs to be bettered, and if you think we need 
skill more than capital, (as we know youcanimpart it,) 
we shall look to the pages of the Cultivator. 
_W. M. 
To relieve clioaked Cattle. 
Agawam, Hampden Co. Mass. April 24 th, 1838. 
Judge Buel, —Dear sir,—Observing in your valuable 
paper several communications on relieving choaked cat- 
tie, I take the liberty to state a case that came' under 
my observation, which was as novel to me as it was ef¬ 
ficacious. A neighbor of mine called on me one morn¬ 
ing, a few years since, to assist him in relieving an ox 
of his that was choaked some time during the night, in 
consequence of breaking into an orchard; the ox was 
much bloated and in great distress, and it appeared he 
could not live many minutes. While making active 
preparations to relieve him, an elderly lady belonging 
to the family emptied part of the contents of a small 
snuff box into her hand and applied it to the nose of the 
ox; the relief was almost instantaneous, the bloat ra¬ 
pidly diminished, and the ox five minutes after ate some 
hay laid before him. I never heard of the remedy be¬ 
fore, nor have I known it tried since, but in that case 
it was effectual. Yours respectfully, 
JONA. E. l-'ERRE. 
Plants exhaust moisture. 
Judge Buel, —Sir,—In Mr. D. Tomlinson’s communi¬ 
cation in Cultivator, No. 2, vol. 5, on sowing grain early 
and feeding it off, he presents one idea, which I think 
is an error, and has a bad tendency. He recommends 
sowing grain early, (so do I these cold seasons,) so that 
it “ should come forward, shade and protect the ground 
from becoming too dry by early drought.” I suppose, 
from your remarks, which follow, that you either did 
not notice the above quotation, or else you are of the 
same opinion, that ground covered with vegetables will 
not become as dry in a drought, as it would if it lay 
naked. If vegetables do protect the ground from 
drought, then we cannot differ from our neighbor, who, 
in a dry time, remarks, that he shall not hoe his corn 
and turnips until it rains; he wants the weeds to shade 
the ground and keep it moist, or “ shade and protect the 
ground from drought.” As many farmers suppose that 
the shade of trees and vegetables keep the ground from 
becoming as dry, in a dry time, as the naked ground, I 
would mention that experiments, as well as reason, has 
satisfied me to the contrary.* I have found, by digging 
where the ground was equally loose or mellow, in a na¬ 
ked summer fallow, and corn field, where the corn near¬ 
ly shaded the whole ground, in a very dry time, in Au¬ 
gust, that the ground in the latter, was at least a hun¬ 
dred per cent the dryest. The reason for this is so ob¬ 
vious, that it needs no explanation from me, and I oiler 
none, unless called for. If Mr. Tomlinson should “en¬ 
gage again in farming,” and examines his grounds in a 
drought, to find where they are the dryest, I think he 
will find it to be in his upland meadows, or under the 
shade of a tree in his meadow, (I mean to except roads 
and other hard trod ground,) if it is a little before hay- 
in cr Yours respectfully, 
D ' WM. BURNHAM. 
Madison, April 28, 1838. 
Force of Habit. 
Chillicothe, Ohio, April 11, 1838. 
J. Buel, Esq.—Sir,—The soil in this Scioto valley is 
naturally so rich, that our farmers have heretofore con¬ 
sidered that there was nothing more necessary on their 
part to ensure a crop than merely to put in the seed, 
and bestow upon it a small amount of rough working. 
But we find, tho’ the country is but about forty years 
old, this mode of culture has been such a continual draw 
upon the native strength of the soil, that manifest 
symptoms of exhaustion appear. This is causing some 
farmers to think upon the necessity of altering their 
mode of culture, and seeking for new lights upon the 
subject. But this waking up to a consideration of their 
true interest and that of the country, is not general 
among our farmers; there is but here and there one 
who has been brought to think upon the subject; hence 
the small number of subscribers to your valuable paper, 
and the scattering manner in which they are sent you. 
It is a hard thing to break through ancient prejudices 
and habits. You ask a Scioto grazier how much corn 
it costs him to fatten an ox—he will tell you from 75 to 
80 bushels. You question the necessity of expending 
that quantity upon an animal, and his economy in feed¬ 
ing, he will say to you, I have been engaged in feed- 
* Mr. Burnham is correct.— Con. Cult. 
ing cattle for more than 30 years, and can be taught 
nothing respecting the business. To another, who prac¬ 
tises no rotation of crops,—you say to him,—by taking 
off a crop of corn from your land year after year, burn¬ 
ing the stocks, and neglecting to put any manure upon 
it, you will exhaust the soil and impoverish your land. 
He will reply, “ I am an old corn raiser, and perfectly 
understand the making of that crop.” 
Light must be let into such minds by degrees; and I 
know nothing better calculated to lead farmers to think¬ 
ing upon the subject than reading the Cultivator. 
Very respectfully, &c. 
_ NATH. SAW YIER. 
On steeping seed Com. 
To prevent birds from pulling up or insects from de¬ 
stroying corn when planted, soak the corn 24 hours in 
a solution of salt petre and warm water; then, after 
draining off the water, take three parts tar to two parts 
of fish oil, warm, and mix them together, and put the 
mixture on the corn, stirring the corn until the mixture 
adheres to and covers the grains; after which it may be 
rolled in plaster, lime, or ashes, to prevent the grains 
sticking together when dropping. It is thought the tar 
prevents too much wet, after planting, from rotting the 
corn, and the oil prevents too much dry weather from 
drying the tar and thereby forming a crust around the 
grain that a sprout cannot get through, but both together 
make the mixture of a proper consistency that retains 
the moisture, renders the covering soft, and admits the 
sprout to get through. The above method has been 
tried a number of years by Mr. Ephraim Clark, a high¬ 
ly respectable farmer of Westfield, N. J., a number 
of whose neighbors also have tried the same with be¬ 
neficial results, rarely having had to plant their corn 
over prepared in this way. 
N. B. The same preparation answers well for Lima 
beans. 
The above method was communicated to me by Mr. 
Ephraim Clark, who gave me permission to send it for 
publication. Yours, &c. 
WILLIAM MARSH. 
Rahway, April 24, 1838. 
Tonawanta and Tuscarora Hogs. 
Tonawanta, 27 th March, 1838. 
Sir, —I notice in the extra of this month, which has 
but just reached me, among matters both sage and in¬ 
teresting, the very excellent report of the State Agricul¬ 
tural committee on swine, in which I find that you ho¬ 
nor our young town in the name of a distinguished breed 
of the grunting gentry. We take the affair quite as 
good humoredly as it is there represented, and can only 
regret the “ non-accompaniment of the sketch terro- 
rum,” as a finish to the no less just than comical pic¬ 
ture. We hope it may yet be found, and grace the co¬ 
lumns of your admirable journal as an eschewing beau 
ideal, for all future pig breeders. I suspect, however, 
that when the said portrait does appear, it will find ma¬ 
ny a faithful original, not only in Tonawanta, but where- 
ever the Cultivator may happen to circulate, be it in 
the forests of the north, the settled regions of the east 
and south, or the wild prairies of the west, and alike 
recognized, a wandering, squealing, grunting, raw- 
boned, thick-skinned herd of Ishmaelites—profitless to 
their owners and a nuisance to their neighbors, whose 
hand, or rather snout, is against every man, and against 
which every hand in the land should be indiscriminate¬ 
ly raised. 
Thus much in corroboration of the Tonawanties.— 
Allow me now to regret, that the committee had not ex¬ 
tended their researches a little further in our good town. 
They would have then found, through the spirited exer¬ 
tions of a few individuals, another breed grown up 
among us, that I, at least, think the very perfection of 
swine, and that will prove to hogs, what the Durlmms 
have to cattle, viz. combining in a very eminent degree 
the best qualities of all others. These also bear an abo¬ 
riginal name, the noble sounding Tuscarora, and have 
been found mainly by a judicious crossing of the im¬ 
proved China with a very superior breed from Canada, 
and a slight touch of the Berkshire, giving them nearly 
the fineness of bone, the quietness and aptitude to fat¬ 
ten, together with the delicacy and sweetness of meat 
of the China, and a trifle more than the size, and an 
equal goodness of ham, of the Berkshire. _ They are 
beautifully spotted, of a clear black and white, the co¬ 
lors sho wing about equally,—are fine in the head, small 
ears, short legs, long, broad and deep bodied, and square 
lady sloped sterns, being in this last point, in my hum¬ 
ble judgment, a very handsome contrast to the Berk- 
sliircs. 
The tenants of the Hon. Stephen White and A. B. 
Allen, Esq., rear them in the greatest perfection, but 
thus far have been rather chary in offering them for 
sale, preferring first to tolerably perfect the breed. 
Mr. Allen now proposes to part with boar pigs. He has 
also a stock of the improved China and Berkshires, so 
that gentlemen addressing him may be sure of a choice 
in the only breeds that are really worth cultivating, and 
I will venture to say as fine animals as can be imported 
or found in any other part of the country. 
Thus, sir, having taken, up the cudgel in an amateur 
whirl on behalf of the productions of our flourishing 
young town, and, as I hope, done the numerous readers 
of the Cultivator some service, in introducing to them, 
for the improvement of their own stock, a new variety 
of the honorable, grunting fraternity. 
I remain, very respectfully, your ob’t serv’t. A. 
P. S. 6th April. Since writing the above, I have had 
a look at the Cultivator of this month, in which I see a 
real racer, mounted over a fat Berkshire. He certainly 
is a caution, as we say here in the west, and gave us 
many a hearty guffaw. Pray, sir, is thisMhe “Tona¬ 
wanta sketch?” If not, let us have it, as I think our va¬ 
ried breeders here can match you for any thing pictured, 
be it fat or lean. 
Reclaiming Swamp Land. 
Glassboro, N. J. April 24, 1838. 
Dear Sir —With your permission I will avail myself 
of the present opportunity to thank you for the sugges¬ 
tions contained in the March No. of the Cultivator, in 
reply to my queries respecting the improvement of my 
worn out lands. If it will not tax your patience too 
far, I will again call your attention to this to me most 
interesting matter. My experiment with the ruta baga 
has been most satisfactory. My milch cows, fed upon 
nothing but very indifferent hay, with a half bushel of 
turnips cut tolerably fine a piece, given twice a day, 
make butter, which, for color and flavor, I think, will 
not suffer in comparison with that made from the best 
clover pasture—while their appearance is so sleek, not¬ 
withstanding their having been exposed, without any 
kind of shelter, to all the storms of the past winter, 
that the question has been asked by others, have they 
not been fed on grain? This season, I am going to try 
to raise double the amount I did last. 
But the matter I had more particularly in view when 
I commenced this, was to ask your advice in regard to 
reclaiming a piece of branch meadow, containing about 
twenty acres, situated on a part of my premises. This 
meadow lies at the head of Prince Maurice’s river,— 
once part of an extensive swamp—and has at this time 
a soil about six feet in depth, composed of alluvial de¬ 
posit. Twenty-five years ago this, with the rest of my 
farm, was in a fine state oij cultivation, producing heavy 
crops of valuable grass. But it is now a waste, covered 
with a solid mat of moss, partly overgrown with bushes, 
with scarcely a spear of fine grass throughout its whole 
extent. Its only ditch is cut nearly through the middle, 
following the serpentine course of the original stream; 
the whole is now wet and miry. The bushes I know 
what to do with—but how am I to get clear of this in¬ 
famous moss, which now holds such entire possession? 
What plan shall I pursue in draining it ? And when re¬ 
claimed, how is it to be got into grass? Any informa¬ 
tion respecting the above, will be gratefully received by 
Yours, E. C. 
Remark. —Water—excess of water — is the undoubted cause 
of infertility. It probably comes from the higher grounds, and 
has to pass to the central ditch for an outlet. If our corres¬ 
pondent will ascertain its source, and conduct it off before it 
saturates Ins six feet soil, and will clear off the moss and 
bushes, and stock it with grass seeds, there is no doubt but 
it will again produce valuable crops of grass. Let a good un¬ 
der drain be made upon the borders adjoining higher grounds, 
to catch the water and lead it into the main drain; and if the 
wetness continues, make lateral drains; and if the water 
comes from spouts or springs on the flat, the source of the 
evil must be sought out, and the remedy, a drain from it, ap¬ 
plied. Make the main drain straight, at least four feet broad 
at the surface, and three to six feet. deep. — Cortd. 
Agricultural Books—Ruta Baga. 
Unionville, April 7th, 1838. 
J. Buel, Esq.—Dear Sir—Permit me to avail my¬ 
self of this opportunity to convey to you my own and 
the thanks of our Agricultural Society for your kind 
assistance to me m procuring books for our library 
when in Albany in 1836. We should be glad to see 
in the Cultivator a notice, from time to time, of such 
publications as you would consider a valuable addition 
to an agricultural library.* We are adding some 
few volumes to our library, as we have opportunity, 
but we find it very difficult to procure suitable books 
to any extent for such a library, and still more diffi¬ 
cult to get farmers to read them when procured.— 
Nothing that has ever been introduced into our agri¬ 
cultural society here has met with more opposition 
than the introduction of agricultural books and perio¬ 
dicals, and it is only within these two years past that 
the one or two persons that have advocated it these 
eight years past could get a majority to consent to it 
at all; and we believe that the same amount of mo¬ 
ney has never been expended by the society in a way 
to produce as much lasting benefit to the community ; 
and the managing committee of our society, which is 
now called the District of Johnston Agricultural So¬ 
ciety, have become so far sensible of this, that they 
have determined still farther to increase the means of 
information, by placing in the hands of each member 
of their society, (that pay two dollars a year or up¬ 
wards,) a monthly agricultural paper gratis, and it is 
in furtherance of that determination that 1 am au¬ 
thorized by them to make the above order. We have 
ordered papers from other places, and the probability 
is, that we may be under the necessity oMroubling 
you with further orders before the termination of the 
year. Since we have adopted the plan of diffusing 
the means of information, we find it far easier to get 
* We are not aware of any recent publications on Ameri¬ 
can husbandry, except our agricultural periodicals. If Chap- 
tal’s Agricultural Chemistry, Low’s Elements of Practical 
Agriculture, and the Farmers’ Series, published by the Bri¬ 
tish Society for the promotion of useful knowledge, were not 
included in our former list, we can recommend them as va¬ 
luable acquisitions to an agricultural, or fanners’ library. 
