THE CULTIVATOR 
A MONTHLY PUBLICATION, DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE 
x KNOW OF NO pursuit in which more real and impo rtant services can be rendered to any country, than by improvingits AGRICULTURE -Wash. 
Vo L. V. 
NO. 3, WASHINGTON-ST. ALBANY, N. Y. JANUARY, 1839. 
No. 11. 
Conducted toy J. DUEL, of Albany. 
TERMS.— One Dollar per annum, to be paid in advance. 
Subscriptions to commence with a volume. 
iSpeeial Agents .— L. <fc R. Hill, Richmond, Va.; Bell & 
Entwisle, Alexandria, D. C.; Gideon B. Smith, Baltimore, 
Md.; Judah Dobson, bookseller, D. Landreith, and M. S. 
Powell, seedsmen, Philadelphia; Israel Post, bookseller, 
88 Bowery, Alex. Smith, seedsman, P. Wakeman, office of 
the American Institute, Broadway, N. York; Hovev & Co. 
Merchants’Row, Boston; Alex. Walsh, Lansingburgh, and 
Wm. Thorburn, Albany, gratuitous agents. For general 
list of agents see No. 12, vol. iv. 
The Cultivator is subject to common newspaper postage. 
3^" Price of the published volumes, 50 cents per voi. stitched— 
the four volumes bound together, #2.75—bound in two volumes, 
$3—the four vols. bound each separate, #3.25. 
THE CULTIVATOR. _ 
TO IMPROVE THE SOKE AND THE MIND. 
$3= All subscriptions discontinued in February, unless 
renewed by payment in advance. 
O’ An Advertising Sheet, £0 
Will accompany our next number. The edition 
is 20,000 copies, circulating in every state and territory 
of the Union. Advertisements and notices for the Far¬ 
mers’ Directory, must be forwarded to us before the 20th 
instant. 
0“ Annual Agricultural Meetings. 
The New-York State Agricultural Society, and the 
New-York State Agricultural Convention, are both to 
meet in Albany, on the FIRST TUESDAY IN FE¬ 
BRUARY next. The Society will meet in the City 
Hall, at 11 A. M.; the Convention in the Assembly 
Chamber, at 4 P. M. 
It is hoped that every county society, and every coun¬ 
ty, will be represented at these meetings, either by de¬ 
legates, or by patriotic individuals. Much, as relates 
to the improvement of agriculture, and to the substantial 
interests of the state, may result from these deliberations. 
Men congregate with alacrity, from remote parts of the 
state, and at great expense, to compass party or sectari¬ 
an purposes. Why not display a like zeal when the inte¬ 
rests of a whole community are the objects of concerted 
operation? Surely if there is one business which more 
than another tends to benefit the entire state, it is the 
great business of agriculture—it is this which, directly 
or indirectly, most multiplies the comforts and substan¬ 
tial enjoyments of all classes. Let all, then, cherish this 
interest, and encourage its improvements. 
American Society for the Diffusion of Useful 
Knowledge. 
We know nothing of this society, except what has 
appeared in its publications. We have not made its 
proceedings the subject of inquiry, nor have we any 
personal acquaintance with the gentlemen who ap¬ 
pear to manage its concerns. When we saw a list 
of fifty volumes, professing to be published under its 
sanction, recommended for the use of common schools, 
and virtually endorsed by Gov. Marcy and Secretary 
Dix, as one of the guardians, though self-appointed, 
of the agricultural community, we examined the list 
of books recommended, and declared our opinion freely 
and honestly—that it was wholly unsuited to form the 
basis of a common school library, for an agricultural 
population. Reflection has rather strengthened than 
Weakened this opinion. But when we received from 
an esteemed friend, whose communication we publish¬ 
ed in our November number, a letter explaining the 
causes of the omissions of which we complained, with 
pamphlets detailing the disinterested and benevolent 
professions of the society, and giving, as officers and 
members, the names of many of our most distinguish¬ 
ed citizens, we felt a confidence, that the objects of 
the association were truly patriotic and praiseworthy; 
and that although nothing had been done, in the first 
series of publications, to diffuse useful knowledge in 
the great business of agriculture, or other branches 
of productive labor, yet that something efficient would 
be done in the coming series. We consequently 
commended the society to public patronage, and in¬ 
vited our brethren of the type to co-operate in their 
labors of usefulness. 
But since the publication of our last remarks, inti¬ 
mations deeply affecting the character of the associa. 
tion, and tending seriously to impair its usefulness, 
have reached us from remote parts of the Union— 
from New-Hampshire and from Kentucky. These 
intimations are sufficiently explained in the commu¬ 
nication which we this day publish from a Concord 
correspondent, whose name is withheld at his request, 
though we feel authorized to give it to any one who 
may feel aggrieved by the facts he alleges. Reports 
like those stated in this communication are abroad. 
If they are well founded, they should be known, for 
we profess to he uncompromisingly hostile to any at¬ 
tempt to deceive the public in matters of such deep 
interest. If they are not true, the sooner they are 
met and put down by indubitable testimony, the bet¬ 
ter ; so that whether they be true or false, the ac¬ 
cused party has no cause of complaint; because the 
society should not longer suffer under unjust imputa¬ 
tions, if innocent; nor should the public be imposed 
upon, if the charges be true. We do not deny the 
right of individuals or associations to speculate in 
books as well as in merchandize or lands. We ask 
only that they shall show their true colours. 
We consider the course we have adopted in this 
matter imposed by duty. We shall be ready, nay 
anxious, to correct any erroneous impressions which 
these remarks, or those of our correspondent, may 
create upon the public mind, whenever we can do it 
with strict regard to truth. 
Premium Crops. 
We publish to-day three communications which 
have claims to premiums offered by us for the most 
profitable crops of corn and ruta baga. Two of these 
give the culture, product and profit of corn, and the 
other of the Swede. One of the corn crops gave a 
product of 118j bushels—and an estimated profit of 
$87.71 per acre; and the other a product of 116 
bushels, and an estimated profit of $91.96. The ru¬ 
ta baga yielded at the rate of 1,230 bushels per acre, 
and an estimated profit of $175.80. We invite the 
farmer, who by the old slovenly mode of culture, sel¬ 
dom netts as much from five or ten acres, as these spi¬ 
rited farmers have netted from a single acre, to pause, 
and scan the causes which produce this wonderful 
difference in the profits of farm labor. We presume 
40 bushels is a high estimate for the average produce 
of an acre of corn. Then three acres of common corn 
would yield about as much as one acre of first rate. 
Then what is the difference in the expense of the 
two? The common crop will cost three times as much 
as the good crop, because it requires three times the 
labor to plough, hoe and harvest three acres that it 
does one acre. The only difference that we can per¬ 
ceive, is in carrying out the manure and spreading it. 
The good farmer carries it out to feed his corn crop 
—the bad farmer leaves it to rot and waste in his 
yard, while his corn is starving for want of it. Esti¬ 
mating the average expense of culture, therefore, at 
$15 per acre, the one expends $45 for 120 bushels of 
corn, to say nothing of rent, taxes, &c. and his crop, 
therefore, costs him at least 37^ cents the bushel.— 
The other expends $15, exclusive of drawing out and 
spreading his manure, and gets 118 bushels of corn. 
His crop costs him about thirteen cents the bushel, or 
about, one-thrd as much as his reckless neighbor 
pays for his. The manure of the bad farmer must 
ultimately be hauled out or lost; and it is as valuable 
after having fed the corn, as it would have been if 
summer yarded. The extra fodder of the good crop, 
will more than pay for any extra labor that may be re¬ 
quired to harvest it. 
The modes of culture, &c. of the two crops noticed 
to-day, it will be seen, were alike in four important 
particulars:— 
1. They were planted on a grass ley. 
2. They were heavily manured with unfermented 
dung. 
3. They were managed entirely with the cultivator 
and hoe, no plough having been employed in 
dressing the crop. 
4. The crop, stocks and corn, was cut up before the 
grain had ripened. 
5. The hills were not earthed. 
These are all deviations from the common practice, 
and the results show, that they are beneficial ones. 
The ruta baga crop is also worthy of attention. If 
an acre of ground, with an expenditure of $30, in¬ 
cluding manure, can be made to grow 1,230 bushels 
of ruta baga, 70 lbs. to the bushel, it is certainly an 
object worthy the consideration of the farmer. If a 
bushel, or 70 lbs. of ruta baga, is equivalent to 20 lbs. 
of good hay, for all kinds of neat cattle, the 1,230 
bushels, the produce of an acre, would go as far in 
the economy of feeding, as nearly 20 tons of hay— 
which we should not ordinarily expect from less than 
ten acres. But take half or quarter of this estimate, 
and it shows the crop to be valuable. 
The Philosophy of Pruning. 
We apprehend that the common practices in this 
branch of rural labor are not altogether based upon a 
sound philosophy. The animal structure, we all 
know, is admirably adapted to its wants, to its habits, 
and to its uses. There is no surplussage—no useless 
incumbrance—all is necessary to fulfil the designs of 
nature. From analogy, as well as from the system 
and order which every where pervade the visible 
creation, is it not reasonable to infer, that every part 
of the vegetable structure is alike essential to its well 
being ? Are not the branches and leaves as essential 
to the tree, as the limbs and lungs are to the animal? 
Who will say otherwise ? Nature produces nothing 
in vain. Although we may assist in carrying out her 
designs, we cannot cross her purposes without suffer¬ 
ing the penalty imposed for a violation of her laws. 
No part of a plant can be affected without affect¬ 
ing the other parts. Roots and branches recipro¬ 
cally produce and nourish each other. If a tree has 
part of its roots destroyed, the branches which these 
supplied decay; and when some of the branches are 
destroyed, some of the roots perish also. The extent 
and form of the one, will in a measure ever corre¬ 
spond with the extent and form of the other. If a 
young tree is kept close pruned, divested of its limbs 
and foliage, it is soon stunted in its growth, the wood 
becomes carious and diseased, and the plant is short¬ 
lived. If, therefore, we destroy the equilibrium— 
which nature has established, between roots and 
branches, by greatly diminishing the one or the other, 
we thwart her designs, and mistake our interest. 
Every branch has its roots—its mouths—in the soil, 
to supply it with the elements of its food; and every 
root has its branch and its leaves—its lungs—in the 
air, to convert these elements into food, for the joint 
benefit of them both and of the stem. One cannot 
attain growth without the co-operation of the other. 
Without the roots the plant cannot obtain the ele¬ 
ments of food ; without the leaves those elements, 
if taken into the system, are of no benefit; but, on 
the contrary, like the undigested food upon the ani¬ 
mal stomach, generate disease, rather than pro¬ 
mote health and vigor. Every leaf performs its of¬ 
fice ip the process of nutrition and growth ; and, other 
circumstances being alike, the increase in the growth 
of the plant, will be in the proportion to the number 
of healthy leaves : if one half of these be destroyed, 
the growth will be but one half as great as if the 
whole had remained—if complete defoliation takes 
place, the growth will entirely cease. Hence prun¬ 
ing decreases growth, in proportion to the extent or 
severity with which it is practised. 
“ Whenever a tree has a live spray cut from it, an inju¬ 
ry is inflicted on that tree that can never entirely be re¬ 
paired. Every wound received is stored up; and if 
wounds be constantly added, they will accumulate to a 
degree too great to be borne, and the tree will sink un¬ 
der its infirmities. It is useless to attempt to transfer 
the timber of the boughs to the stem, or to confine the 
growth of timber entirely to the stem. However desi¬ 
rable it may be to the pruner, to have all the growth di¬ 
verted to the increase of the stem, he never will be able 
to effect it. He may, like the dog, snap at the shadow, 
and lose the substance; hut never will he be able, by 
pruning off the houghs, to increase the growth of the stem 
one jot. No; the size of the stem will be in proportion 
to the head it has to support. The stem is not, as he 
may imagine, a production formed merely for the use of 
man; it is the canal, or passage, in which the juices pass 
between the roots and branches; and the size of this 
passage is always in proportion to the offices it lias to 
perform. If the number of branches [meaning to in 
elude leaves] be increased, the quantity of sap passing 
between them and the roots will be increased; a greater 
space is necessary for the increased quantity of sap, and 
consequently the stem is increased. Let the head of the 
tree increase, and depend upon it, there wiU he a cor¬ 
responding increase of the stem. 
“It is said to be right to cut away a small proportion 
of the weaker branches, and turn the current of the 
descending sap more abundantly into the stem. It is 
hard to understand what is meant by this explanation 
of the effects of pruning. Does the sap descend down 
the stem till it arrives at the weaker branches, and then 
