138 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Vermont, which, within oor recollection, had a fine 
kind wheat soil, abounding in vegetable matter.— 
The vegetable matter has become exhausted by bad 
management, and the soil thin and compact; and as 
it rests upon hardpan, impervious to the surface wa¬ 
ter, it is no longer fit for tillage crops, and cannot be 
rendered fit for them, till it is relieved from its excess 
of water by under-drains, and kept under a more en¬ 
lightened—a more scientific system of management. 
Such, we are pretty confident, will be the condition 
of many districts of light land in the yet fertile west, 
if timely resort is not had to under-draining, to ma¬ 
nuring, and to alternating crops. 
Effects of Alkali in preserving Wood. 
The antisceptic properties of alkali, in preserving 
wood from rapid decay, must have been witnessed by 
most persons, in the boards and timbers about ashe- 
ries, lime-kilns and the depositaries of lime. Its ef¬ 
fect seems to be to neutralize the mucilagenous matter 
of the wood, whether in a dry or moist state, the ten¬ 
dency of which, heat and moisture being present, is 
to bring on fermentation, and consequent decomposi¬ 
tion ; while at the same time it seems to exclude, in 
a great measure, the free access of water into the 
pores of the wood. Our attention was first directed 
to this subject, by seeing, near Bordentown, N. J. a 
large vat filled with lime and water, or lime water, 
in which were immersed a great number of timbers, 
intended for the cross-timbers of a rail-road; and 
more recently by a communication in the Farmers’ 
Cabinet, on the preservation of the roofs of buildings, 
by soaking the shingles in lime water. It is not, it 
seems, the insoluble parts of the lime, which is effica¬ 
cious—for these rather obstruct the escape of preju¬ 
dicial moisture from the wood—but it is the caustic 
alkaline solution of the lime—the liquid resulting from 
pouring water upon fresh burnt or recently slaked 
lime, that constitutes the antisceptic, and that pow¬ 
erfully arrests the decay of woody matter. 
The writer of an article in the Cabinet, whose 
name we would creditably record, had he not been 
deterred, we fear by a false modesty, from giving it 
to the public, directs, that for saturating shingles, 
with alkali, an elevated box should be made, to mix 
the lime and water, so that the lime-water, when 
suitably prepared and clear, can be drawn off into a 
lower box, in which the shingles are placed upon their 
butt ends, so that that portion of them, which, when 
laid, is to be exposed to the weather, shall be com¬ 
pletely saturated with the lime-water, which will re¬ 
quire some hours. We would suggest that the en¬ 
tire shingles be immersed in the liquid, as the part 
not exposed to the weather, is also liable to decay. 
White-washing with lime, the wash being impreg¬ 
nated with salt, has long been recommended by Mr. 
Coke and others, as a preservative to the wooden 
coverings of buildings, fences, &c. And it has this fur¬ 
ther to recommend it, that it promotes cleanliness 
and health, and is, withal, in the absence of paint, 
ornamental. 
It is a matter of some importance, that the lime 
used in these processes, and it may be used to ad¬ 
vantage for many other rural purposes, should be in a 
caustic state, that is, fresh burnt and well burnt; and 
that it be used as soon as practicable after the prepa¬ 
ratory process is completed, as its effects, in destroy¬ 
ing vermin, removing infection, or preserving wood 
from decay, depend upon its alkaline properties, which 
are rapidly diminished by exposure after it comes from 
the kiln. 
Experiments in Manuring Turnips. 
S. W. Smith has given to the public, in the Farm¬ 
ers’ Cabinet, the result of an experiment with various 
manures upon his turnip crop, which are worth re¬ 
cording and remembering. He divided an acre of 
land into four equal parts, and gave to No. 1 a dress¬ 
ing of common stable dung ; to No. 2, an extra quan¬ 
tity of compost manure ; to No. 3, ten bushels of lime 
and two and a half of wood ashes ; and to No. 4, two 
bushels of bone dust. They all escaped the fly, and 
were treated alike. They were sown the 15th and 
16th June, and harvested the 10th November. The 
product was as follows : 
No. 1 yielded 
98 
bushels = to 390 per acre. 
No. 2 * “ 
124 
“ — to 496 “ 
No. 3 « 
185 
“ == to 740 « 
No. 4 “ 
213 
“ = to 852 “ 
Pitts’s Grain Separator and Cleaner. 
This machine was patented in June, 1837, to J. A. & 
H. A. Pitts, of Winthrop, Maine, and of course its me¬ 
rits or dements can yet be but partially known to the 
American farmers. We had heard it highly spoken of; 
but as hearing is not seeing, and as it is our practice not 
to recommend any new implement till we are satisfied of 
its utility, we have waited for ocular demonstration be¬ 
fore we would venture to join in its praise. But now, 
having seen it in operation some days, on our premises, 
we are prepared to give it our unqualified approbation, 
as an excellent machine for the purposes intended. 
It is a thrashing machine and fanning-mill combined. 
It thrashes, separates the straw from the grain, and 
cleans and delivers the latter, in the best order, for the 
sacks or bags— in one operation. It may be constructed 
for the power of one horse or more, though usually ad¬ 
apted for two horses, attached to an endless chain pow¬ 
er, though it may be attached to other horse or propel¬ 
ling power; and the whole is so portable, that it may 
readily be transported, horse-power and all, by a two- 
horse team, and put in operation on a twelve foot barn 
floor. The cylinder and bed are of cast iron, the form¬ 
er rendered doubly secure by strong iron bands. The 
teeth are wrought iron, secured by nuts, are not liable 
to do injury if broken, and are readily repaired. This 
we saw verified: a sickle, which had been carelessly 
left in one of the sheaves, passed undiscovered into the 
thresher. The sickle was cut into five pieces, and the 
handle slivered. The machine was immediately stop¬ 
ped, and the cap taken off, when it was found that one 
tooth was spoiled, and two or three others somewhat 
bent, the whole of which were replaced or repaired in a 
few moments. The fanning-mill may be detached in 
two minutes, and used separately. The whole of the 
machinery is substantial, not liable to get out of order, 
and may be readily repaired. 
As to the quantity of grain which this machine will 
thresh and clean, the patentee assures us, that 100 
bushels of wheat or rye, or 200 bushels of oats, is a 
fair day’s work with a machine of two horse pow¬ 
er ; and the numerous certificates which he has, from 
respectable farmers in Maine, Massachusetss and New- 
York, fully sustains him in this declaration. 
There are two prominent advantages in this machine, 
over others that we have seen in operation, viz. 
1. It thrashes, separates the straw, and perfectly 
cleans the grain, at one operation, demanding only the 
additional labor of a man to bag the grain as it comes 
from the machine. And, 
2. It may be used any where—under cover during 
rain, or in the open field during fair weather, as there 
is no scattering or loss of grain even in the field. This 
we consider an important advantage in the great grain¬ 
growing districts of the south and west. 
We are happy to add to our testimonial of approba¬ 
tion, the like testimonials of the Rev. H. Colman, and 
and of Messrs. H. Grove and C. N. Bement, who witness¬ 
ed the operation of the machine at our place, and who 
fully concur in the above statement. 
The price of the machine alone, at the manufactory, 
in Winthrop, is stated to be $110, and including the 
horse power $200. Address J. A. or H. A. Pitts, at the 
above place. 
Notices of Correspondents. 
Blight of the Plum. —Roswell M. Lawrence, of Cats- 
kill, assures us that he has found a cure or preventive 
of the canker or blight in the plum tree, in a strong de¬ 
coction of tobacco, made by boiling the tobacco in wa¬ 
ter. He washes with this the excresences, on their 
first appearance in a green state, and applies to them 
some of the tobacco. He has tried the remedy in three 
instances, in all of which, he says, he has succeeded. 
The disease is undoubtedly caused by an insect, which 
the tobacco destroys; but we should doubt if the tobacco 
would heal and restore to health and vigor the diseased 
wood. 
Improved Fence. —The following paragraph should 
have been inserted in Mr. Allison’s communication in 
our last: 
“ In comparison with the post-and-rail fence, the im¬ 
proved has two important advantages—by avoiding, 
first, the ruinous necessity of spoiling the rails by splic¬ 
ing or fitting the ends into the holes of the post, side by 
side; which splices decay long before the rail has done 
its service. And, secondly, the difficulty of replacing a 
post or rail which gets broken by either accident or de¬ 
cay. Stakes having two supporters in the ground, 
which prop each other, also stand firmer than a post, 
where the ground is soft. I think these establish its 
superiority to the post-and rail.” 
Silk Culture. —E. D. Cotton, asks our advice and di¬ 
rection, in regard to the silk culture in Michigan. Mr. 
C. will find numerous publications on this subject in the 
book-stores. The Silk Culturist, published at Hartford, 
Ct. and the American Silk Grower, published at Bur¬ 
lington, N. J. are almost exclusively devoted to this sub¬ 
ject. Our advice upon this matter may be seen in No. 
1 of vol. iii. of the Cultivator. We think it a business 
in which some will succeed, and some fail; and that 
success will, in a great measure, depend, as in every 
other employment, upon the intelligence and economy 
with which it is managed. 
Watermelons. —The twenty-four seeds received from 
Mr. Poullain, of Georgia, all grew, and produced the 
best crop we ever grew of this fine fruit—some weigh¬ 
ing twenty-five pounds. The Mountain Sprout is of 
peculiar fine and delicate flavor. Seeds will be distri¬ 
buted at the meeting of the State Agricultural Society 
in February. 
Agricultural Fairs. —The propriety of publishing in 
the Cultivator notices of the annual agricultural fairs 
and exhibitions, held in the northern and middle states, 
has been suggested by a highly respectable correspon¬ 
dent. We thank him for the suggestion, and highly ap¬ 
prove of the plan. As it is now too late to notice them 
for the current season, we will endeavor to do it another 
year; and to enable us to do so, we respectfully solicit 
information, in time for our July or August number, 
1839. 
Agricultural implements, fyc. —W. Dinn, No. 17 Com¬ 
mon-street, New-Orleans, seedsman, desires to buy, or 
sell on commission, any useful agricultural implements 
that may be adapted to a southern latitude. 
Saxony Sheep. —Our friend, H. D. Grove, advertises 
forty bucks and sixty ewes, of the pure Electoral Saxon 
race. We believe there is no purer flock of Saxons in 
our country than Mr. Grove’s, and we can speak of the 
owner as a gentleman of strict probity and honor. Ad¬ 
dress Mr. Grove at Buskirk’s Bridge, Washington coun¬ 
ty, N. Y. 
Lincolnshire Sheep. —A letter from our friend D. Cliff, 
of Carmel, Putnam county, says —“ I can now, with the 
utmost confidence, state, after a trial of three years, 
having now a third generation of lambs, in all about 
one hundred and fifty of the cross and full bloods, that 
they have exceeded my most sanguine expectations. In 
their habits, and choice of food, they are not as delicate 
as other sheep, thriving and fattening on the most scanty 
and inferior keep. There is a briskness in their coun¬ 
tenance and action, which, to every beholder, bespeaks 
for them at once their superior constitution. They must 
be seen to be duly appreciated. Six wethers and one 
buck, two years old, of my own raising, and two full 
blooded imported Lincoln bucks, one four and the other 
three, weigh together 1798 lbs.”—an average of about 
200 lbs. each. 
Early Variety of corn. —H. C. Tainter, of Hampton, 
Con. wishes to advertise the public, through the Culti¬ 
vator, of an early variety of corn, called the Clark corn, 
which was ripe the 24th August, ten or fifteen days 
earlier, he says, than the Dutton corn he planted along 
side of it, and he thinks the Clark corn the most prolific. 
We doubt not the Clark corn is early and prolific; but 
we will add, in defence of our favorite, the Dutton, 
that our crop -was all fit to harvest in August, and that 
for product, when well fed, we challenge a competition 
with any variety. We have cultivated it eighteen years, 
and never had it injured by frost. Our kind of Dutton 
corn was harvested by T. G. Mather, Esq. of Middle- 
town, Con. and his neighbors, in August. 
Melon Seeds —We have received seeds of the 55 lbs. 
muskmelon, from an unknown friend at Charleston, 
S, C. 
Berkshire Pigs. —Mess. Brintnalls, of Canterbury, 
Orange, who have a stock of these pigs, from original 
importation, cite the following as the weights to which 
they have attained, at the ages noted: one under two 
years old, weighed 652 lbs.; one four years old, 702 lbs.; 
one three years old 780 lbs.; two eighteen months old, 
432, and 432J lbs. &c. 
The Grain Worm and late sowing Spring Wheat .— 
We have received communications from M. M. Wake, 
and others, which concur in stating, that the spring 
wheat sown in April and the early part of May, has 
been seriously injured by the grain worm, in the infect¬ 
ed districts; while that sown after the 15th and 20th 
May has escaped with partial or no injury. Mr. Hill, 
eighty miles north of Albany, sowed on the 25th April, 
and again on the 19th and 25th May. The first was a 
total loss, the second was but partially injured, while 
that sown on the 25th May wholly escaped the worm. 
It gives us pleasure to say, that in the northern part of 
Vermont, where this insect first appeared, ten or twelve 
years ago, the culture of wheat is being again resumed, 
with flattering prospects of escaping the ravages of the 
worm. By the way, the opinion has been advanced by 
naturalists, that the grain worm is not oviperous, laying 
its eggs, but viviparous, like the honey bee, bumblebee, 
&c. depositing its young. Mr. Henry Ellsworth, of 
Ketch Mills, Ct. has addressed us ten queries in rela¬ 
tion to this insect, all of which have been anticipated, 
so far as we are at present able to answer them, in the 
Cultivators which we forwarded to him on the receipt 
of his letter. 
A new Insect Enemy to the Wheat Crop, we are sorry to 
learn, has this year appeared in several districts, and 
done serious injury. It is represented to be a species of 
worm, about three-eighths of an inch long, and preys 
upon the matured grain, in the field and in the barn. 
As we have not seen the insect, we will be obliged for 
a description of it, and of its habits, from any gentlemen 
who has made it the subject of his observation. 
Thrashing Machines and Horse-Poivers —-We have 
half a dozen letters of inquiry before us relative to these 
We have said all we have felt justified in saying of 
those we have seen on trial. For these opinions we 
must refer to the Cultivator, and also for the address of 
those who vend them, the price, &.c. 
Bog Ashes, §c. —Charles H. Welling, of Lawrence- 
ville, will find answers to his queries in regard to bog 
ashes, at pages 157, 174 and 190, of our fourth volume 
C O RRE SPONDENCE. 
The Lombard y Poplar. 
Baltimore Co. Md. Aug. 15, 1888. 
J. Bubl—D ear Sir—This tree, it appears, has 
recently sunk very greatly into disrepute, at least 
in many places, as an ornament and shade in our 
yards, streets, &c. It is highly probable, however, 
that the intrinsic excellence ol the tree has been but 
imperfectly ascertained, and known to a very limit¬ 
ed extent amongst us. In view of directing more 
special attention to some of the advantageous uses 
which mav be made of it, I beg leave to commimi- 
