119 
PJLAN OF A farmer's GARDEN. 
[Fig. No. 46] 
“ The laying-out of a garden,” says Cobbett, 
“ consists of the division of it into several parts, and 
in the allotting of those several parts to the several 
purposes for which the garden is made. These 
parts consist of walks, paths, plats, borders and 
a hot-bed ground .” 
The length of the garden, from east to west ac- 
cordingto the above plan, is 100 yards ; the breadth 
50 yards. Cobbett’s reasons for this form, an ob¬ 
long square, are, “first, that we get by it a long 
warm border under the north fence for the raising 
of things early in the spring. Second, we get a long 
and cool border under the south fence, for shading, 
during the great heats, things to which a burning - 
sun is injurious. Third, by this shape of the area 
of a garden, a large portion of the whole is shelter¬ 
ed, during winter and spring, from bleak winds.” 
The following is Cobbett’s explanation of the plan 
before us : 
“ The long walk, from east to west, is six feet 
wide, as is also the cross walk in the middle. All 
the paths are three feet wide. The borders, Nos. 
2 and B, are nine feet wide. The dimensions of 
the plats, Nos. 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, are (each) 
seventy feet from east to west, and fifty-six from 
north to south. Plat No. 6, is fifty-six by fifty. 
Plat No. 4, is sixty feet by thirty-six.” And as to 
the mode of planting, he observes correctly, that all 
crops of large growth, as corn, peas, beans, oni¬ 
ons, beets, &c. should be planted in rows to run 
north and south ; while small crops are best plant¬ 
ed in rows running east and west, across the beds. 
It will be seen that a third part of the garden is 
appropriated to fruit trees, as the pear, plum, peach, 
cherry, &c.; that one-sixteenth is appropriated to 
hot-beds ; and the remainder, embracing six hun¬ 
dred feet of early and late border, to culinary vege¬ 
tables, medicinal and sweet herbs, small fruits, &c. 
We would suggest that a portion of one of the 
borders be appropriated to a garden nursery ; in 
which cuttings of the grape, currant, gooseberry, 
&c. and seedlings of fruit trees, may be planted, 
and budded or grafted, to replace those which de¬ 
cay. The currant will not do well in the same 
ground more than ten or a dozen years. The cur¬ 
rant may be raised on a single stem, as a dwarf 
tree, if, previous to the cutting being inserted, all 
the eyes but two or three of the upper ones, are cut 
out with a knife. 
An asparagus bed should be placed in an early 
border. It may be made from roots or seeds. The 
plants or seeds should be in rows across the bed 
twelve inches apart, the plants six inches in the 
rows. It will last many years if taken care of, pay 
well for the labor bestowed upon it, and yield one 
of the finest delicacies for the table. 
We shall continue the subject, and proceed, in 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
our next, to give some directions for filling the 
different compartments embraced in the above plan. 
Prevention of Smut. 
We extract the subjoined table from the Quarterly 
Journal for June, as particularly applicable and use¬ 
ful at this season. It gives the results of trials with 
various liquids, as steeps for seed wheat, made by 
Mr. Bevan, on a sandy soil in Bedfordshire. The 
columns in the table which are marked A. contain the 
result from the steeped grain which was sown ; and 
those marked B. are the results from smutted sam¬ 
ples. 
Cwts. of 
straw per 
acre. 
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It will be seen that the seed steeped in a pickle of 
common salt was free from smut, gave the greatest 
product in good grain, and the greatest weight of 
straw. This steep may be used by every farmer. 
The article from which the above table is extract¬ 
ed was written by George W. Johnson. The writer 
examines the erroneous theories and opinions which 
have prevailed as to the origin or cause of smut in 
grain, and we think satisfactorily shows their fal¬ 
lacy. Mr. Johnson then proceeds to detail what he 
considers correct knowledge upon the subject, and 
quotes some of the most eminent naturalists in sup¬ 
port of the opinion, that what passes by the different 
names of smut, dust-brand and burnt corn is a pa¬ 
rasitical fungus, which preys not only upon the sap, 
but destroys the very organic structure of the grain 
and chaff upon which it fixes. Botanists generally 
distinguish this fungus by the name of urido sege- 
tum. Chemical analysis has shown it to consist, 
1st. Of about one-third of its own weight of a green, 
butryaceous, foetid and acrid oil. 2d. Nearly one- 
fourth of a vegeto-animal substance, perfectly simi¬ 
lar to that which comes from putrid gluten. 3d. A 
black coal, one-fifth of its weight, similar to that 
which is found in all remnants of putrified organic 
compounds. 4th. Free phosphoric acid, amounting 
to scarcely more than . 004 of the smut. 5th. Phos¬ 
phates of ammonia, magnesia and lime, in the pro¬ 
portion of a few thousandths.” “ The contagion 
attacks especially the gluten, and precedes, indeed 
prevents, the formation of starch.” It has also been 
shown, by Duhamel, Kirby and others, that the 
disease exists in the affected plant, before the de¬ 
velopment of the head ; that it is propagated by 
minute seeds, which attach to the kernel, and which 
are so light as to float buoyantly in a damp at 
mosphere ; that the vitality of these seeds is not de¬ 
stroyed by frost; but that they will contaminate 
seed grain, with which they come in contact, after 
being long in the soil. In early spring, when the 
plants were but a few inches high, upon carefully 
opening the hose or blade which covers the ear, M. 
Duhamel found this embryo already black and dis¬ 
tempered. After quoting the results of many expe¬ 
riments besides those in the above table, made by 
Mr. Bevan, Air. Johnson adds-— 
“The conclusion from these and many other accor¬ 
dant experiments is, that washing the seed is effective 
in preventing the communication of the disease to the 
crop to which it gives birth. If the washing was fre¬ 
quently repeated, or the cleansing made complete, by 
passing a continued stream through the wheat for some 
hours, it is probable that simple water might be em- 
ployed for this purpose as effectually as any saline so 
lution. But as this wPUld require more labor than is 
desirable, and as the salts, &c. employed are beneficial 
in other ways, by protecting the seed from vermin, and 
ministering to the future vigor of the plants, steeps are 
generally and very properly adopted.” 
If lime be adopted, it is recommended to prepare 
it by mixing “ one pound of fresh lime with three gal¬ 
lons of boiling water, allowing these to stand for two 
hours, and the clear liquor then to be poured off and 
immediately used. In this liquor the wheat should be 
soaked for twelve hours, stirred twice or thrice during 
the time, and then mixed upon a floor, with the powder 
made by pouring three gallons [pints?] of boiling wa¬ 
ter upon five pounds of lime.” 
Mr. Johnson has had no experience with lime him¬ 
self; but he has witnessed many experiments with stale 
urine and a solution of common salt. He thinks the 
latter the most agreeable; and although both were 
completely effective, without exception, he has used the 
salt, as being most cleanly as well as convenient. His 
mode is, to wash the seed with pure water, to skim off 
the floating light grains, and then to soak it twelve 
hours in a pickle made with common salt, strong 
enough to float a hen’s egg. Mr. Johnson is satisfied, 
from experiments he made, and which he details, that 
the soil is one source of infection, and that salt is aa 
antidote to this infection; and he thinks the truth of 
these opinions is confirmed by the fact, “ that fields in 
the vicinity of the sea are rarely injured, and never ex¬ 
tensivel y, by the ravages of the smut. ” 
Green’s Straw Cutter. 
Our ingenious countryman, Mr. Green, has re¬ 
ceived a high compliment, in the encomium which 
has been passed upon his machine by the Highland 
Agricultural Society of Scotland. A description of 
this machine was sent from Canada to the secretary, 
by Mr. Ferguson, who pronounced it “the easiest 
and the most effective cutter he ever met with—a 
real first rate machine.” The communication was 
laid before the committee on machinery, who, after 
making a machine according to the description, 
and sufficiently testing it, reported that they found 
it “to bear out all that was reported of it by Mr. 
Ferguson;” that “it is now ascertained, that it 
will cut three times more than the best of the com¬ 
mon sort, and with less force and that “one per¬ 
son driving the machine will cut with ease five hun¬ 
dred weight of hay or straw in an hour.” This is a 
high, but deserving commendation. The notice, 
with a cut of this machine, is published in the so¬ 
ciety’s papers for June. 
Suggestions to the Wool Grower. 
Hitherto the attention of the farmers has been prin¬ 
cipally directed to the rearing of cheep for the profit 
of the fleece, or of the carcass separately, without 
reference to the advantages to if derived from both 
conjointly. Hence the Saxon, Merino and New- 
Leicester breeds have been principally sought for, the 
two first on account of their fine wool, and the latter 
on account of the great weight of carcass. The great 
increase in the number of fine w oolled sheep, and the 
serious depression for some time in the wool market, 
render it worth the consideration of the sheep master, 
whether he cannot vary the character of his flock to 
advantage. 
The South Down sheep of Britain have the repu¬ 
tation of making the best mutton of any breed ; and 
this mutton sells for a penny a pound more in the 
London market than any other. VYe have ate of 
this mutton several times, and recently, and think it 
deserves all the commendation bestowed upon it. 
The sheep are hardy, and are peculiarly adapted to 
light upland soils. They take on fat quick, and come 
to early maturity. This breed has been recently im¬ 
proved by a cross with the improved Cots wold, with 
great advantage to the fleece, without seeming pre¬ 
judice to the mutton. A Mr. Troynam states m the 
July number of the Farmers’ Magazine, that he ob¬ 
tained from 300 ewes of this cross, while suckling 
their lambs, an average of five pounds of wool each, 
and from 110 yearlings, an average of seven pounds 
two ounces each. The wool sold at 42s. per tod of 
281bs. which is equal to 32 cents per lb. or $1.60 for 
the ewes, and $2.24 for the yearling fleece. 
Harvesting Corn. 
As the Indian corn harvest comes in this month, we 
would suggest to those who have not adopted the 
practice, to cut the crop at the ground, and immedi¬ 
ately to deposite it in stooks, as a means of lessening 
the harvest labor, of securing the crop from the inju¬ 
rious effects of early frost, and of materially enhancing 
its valuer over the old mode of topping. The crop 
may be cut as soon as the grain has become glazed. 
By our experiments, made with great care, the details 
of which will be found in our last Nov-ember number, 
we gain six bushels an acre, in heavy corn, by cutting 
up the crop, over what we obtain by topping it, and 
make a still greater gain in the forage, 
A Steam Plough, 
Is now being constructed in New-Jersey, designed 
for operating on the western prairies. An intelligent 
gentleman who has examined it, has so much confi¬ 
dence in its success, that he tells us he has ordered 
one for his own use, in the valley of the Wabash. 
