THE CULTIVATOR. 
69 
upon a farm in Pennsylvania, has described to us a 
“pest,” which abounds in some of his grounds, and 
which he asks directions for getting rid of. He deno¬ 
minates it “evergreens,” and his farmer “ripple-grass.” 
It grows in bunches, has matted bulbous roots, and spreads 
with great rapidity. He says he has seen this detesta¬ 
ble weed cultivated in the east, in gardens, with great 
care. We suspect this “ pest*’ to be the star of Bethle¬ 
hem, ( ornitho.galum umbellatum .) Be it this or not, the 
only means of destroying it is that recommended for 
destroying the wild garlic, the Canada thistle, quack 
grass, or other perennial—by preventing, by means of 
the hoe and plough, the growth of the stem and leaves, 
the elaborating organs of the plant, and thereby starv¬ 
ing the root, so that it will die. 
POTATO OATS 
Are highly commended by L. B. Nottingham, East- 
ville, Va. His neighbor, Dr. Kerr, from a shot bag full 
of seed, less than the twentieth part of a bu-hel, ob¬ 
tained, with ordinary management, three and a half 
bushels. Mr. Jaynes, another neighbor, raises them to 
weigh forty pounds per bushel, and sows this year three 
hundred bushels of seed. 
DUTTON CORN AND ROHAN POTATOES. 
A. M. D. Robertson, writes us from Rock River, 
Wisconsin Territory:—“Last spring, I procured one 
quart of Dutton corn, and three Rohan potatoes, from 
friend Thorburn, of Albany. I planted them in the 
Rock River soil. Both were planted late. The corn 
suffered much from the cut-Worm and prairie squirrel; 
notwithstanding which the product was from sixty to 
seventy bushels the acre. Every grain is bespoken for 
seed. The three potatoes were planted in 18 hills.— 
They suffered much from the cut-worm. I dug them 
late in the fall, ari l had a barrel larger than a flour bar¬ 
rel full, and three pecks over. It is a hard tale, but it 
is truth, every word truth. I could hardly have believ¬ 
ed it myself, if I had not seen it.” 
J. E. Ferre, of Agawam, Mass, raised from one tu¬ 
ber, weighing six ounces, 34 lbs. Rohans, being sixty- 
eight fold. 
TIME TO SOW CLOVER. 
“ When is the best time to sow clover seed, on a piece 
of loam, to be sown to winter wheat in the latter part of 
9th mo. (Sept.) after corn?— E. Mabbett.” Answer — 
In April, upon the young wheat. 
A DECENT TIG. 
Lyman Smith, of Westfield, Mass, slaughtered a pig 
in March, which weighed when dressed, 791 lbs. 
RELATIVE VALUE OF POTATOES. 
A Columbia correspondent is puzzled to reconcile the 
various statements we have published, at different times, 
as to the relative value of potatoes and Swedish turnips 
for cattle food. He says ruta baga is stated to contain 
from seven to eight per cent of nutritive matter, and po¬ 
tatoes twenty-five per cent; that in the sheep report of 
Mr. Rotch, 200 lbs. of potatoes are deemed equivalent 
to 350 lbs. of ruta baga for sheep; and that in the con¬ 
ductor’s report in our March number, upon the compa¬ 
rative value of roots for neat cattle, we stated, that it 
would seem there is no great difference in the feeding 
properties of the three kinds, viz. potatoes, mangold 
wurzel and ruta baga, so far as measure and weight are 
concerned. In reply to our correspondent, we can only 
say, that each of the authorities he refers to, that is, 
Davy, Wagner, and the Prize Essays of the Highland 
Society, are all highly respectable, and entitled to cre¬ 
dit. Davy states the soluble nutritive matters of 1000 
parts 
Of the potato, to be.... 200 to 260 
“ ruta bag,. 64 
“ red beef,. 148 
“ white beet. 136 
“ parsnip,. 99 
“ carrot, .... .. 98 
“ linseed cake,.. 151 
Now every person who has had experience in feeding 
the above kinds of food, will know that linseed cake is 
more than twice the value of potatoes for fattening beef, 
although its nutrient properties are rated twenty-five to 
fifty per cent less than those of the potato; that the 
carroi is better for cows, and particularly for horses, 
than any of the other roots, or than oil-cake, although 
it ranks in the scale below most of them; that to the 
pig, the potato in its raw state is less nutritious than 
the carrot, the parsnip, the beet, or the ruta baga—in¬ 
deed, that while a pig will thrive on any of the former, 
he will but live upon the latter, although the potato out¬ 
ranks them all in nutrient properties, from twenty-five 
to one hundred per cent; and finally, that what may be 
meat to one species of farm stock, may be poison, or at 
least may fail to possess fattening properties, to another 
species. We do not assume to reconcile the seeming 
discrepancies which our correspon lent has pointed out, 
and still we are disposed to respect them all as good 
authority. We believe that animals, like plants, have 
their specific food ; and that what is most beneficial to 
one species is not equally beneficial to another species. 
One kind of animal, like one kind of plant, will assimi¬ 
late and retain some portions of food, which another 
kind of animal will void. There is still one other con¬ 
sideration which we will offer, and that is, that the po¬ 
tato differs one-half in its nutritive or fattening proper¬ 
ties, which ranges, in different varieties, from fourteen 
to twenty-eight per cent. There is much yet to be 
learned pertaining to the “art and mystery ” of agricul¬ 
ture. 
Having thus endeavored to answer the queries of our 
correspondent, we beg, that in his next oommunicatiou 
he will send us his name, though he should tax us with 
postage. 
QUERIES. 
1. Is June as good a season to bud peach trees as 
August? No—August and September are the best 
months, and stocks should be budded the first season of 
their growth from the seed. 
2. Is not budding better than grafting for that fruit? 
Budding is decidedly preferable to grafting on the 
peach. 
3. Does it make any difference whether those of the 
same species are united, or of different species, i. e. cling¬ 
stones upon clingstones, or upon freestones' 1 . None at all. 
The peach may also be worked on the plum, the apricot 
upon the peach, some pears, (the melting kinds general¬ 
ly,) upon the quince, &c. 
“ Studioso Evangeliis,” is too sensitive. The term 
producing classes is applied, by common consent, to 
those who virtually create wealth by manual labor; and 
the term non-producing, or consuming classes, is used, 
in contradistinction to the other, to indicate those who 
do not live by manual labor. We make not war with 
the learned professions. They are all useful to a limit¬ 
ed extent; but in some departments we have certainly 
an excess, or an undue proportion of these good folks 
and our desire is to bring about an equilibrium in the 
commonwealth—not by depreciating the one class, but 
by enlightening and elevating the other, and thereby in¬ 
creasing their numbers, and their moral and political in¬ 
fluence upon society. 
WATER LIME. 
“ What is water lime, and how is it prepared ? — J. Chap¬ 
lain.” 
We give the answer to the inquiry of our correspon¬ 
dent, in the following extracts from the report of Dr. L. 
C. Beck, from the Geological Report, just published. 
“ Hydraulic or Water Limestones. —It is well-known,” says 
the Report, “that the lime obtained by the calcination or 
burning of the different kinds of limestone, differs greatly in 
its properties. When the limestone is pure, the resulting lime 
is also of uniform purity. Upon the addition of water to such 
lime, a high degree of heat is produced, its bulk is greatly in¬ 
creased, and it at length falls to powder. This powder, when 
mixed with water, and a due proportion of sand, and after¬ 
wards exposed to the air, graduallyacquiresastony hardness; 
but this result is not produced when the mixture is submitted 
to the action of water. Now these are designated by the 
name of air limes, and their relative value depends in some 
measure upon the kind of limestone, and the particular mode 
of c ilcination. 
“ But certain impure limestones, when subjected to calcina¬ 
tion, afford limes which, while they do not undergo much 
change by simple exposure to the air, do not slake when 
moistened with water, but when reduced to powder, absorb 
this liquid without producing much increase in volume, and 
without the evolution of much heat; and they moreover form 
with it a paste possessing little tenacity, and which when 
placed under water, hardens after the lapse of a few days — 
These are now known by the name of hydraulic or water limes. 
They differ much in the rapidity with which they harden un¬ 
der water, and in the degree ol solidity which they ultimately 
attain. 
“ There are still other limestones w hich afford limes, pos¬ 
sessing the remarkable and very useful property of becoming 
hard a most instantly, like plaster of Paris, whether exposed 
to the air or in contact with water. These are sometimes 
called Roman. Cements. It should be remarked, however, 
that the French generally employ the term ciment, to desig¬ 
nate fine pounded bricks or tiles; while in this country, the 
term cement is most commonly used in a generic sense, and 
includes the hydraulic constituent ot mortars, whatever that 
may be. 
“ There is still some difference of opinion, as to which of 
the ingredients of these impure limestones, the hydraulic pro¬ 
perty is to be ascribed. Some of those who have examined 
the subject, have fixed upon the oxide ol iron, as the impor¬ 
tant ingredient; while the claims of the oxide of manganese, 
silica, alumina, magnesia, and even soda, have each been 
urged by respectable authority. It is, after ail, however, more 
than probable, that the hydraulic property is not due to a 
single ingredient, but belongs rather to several substances, or 
to a class of compounds. 
“ It a t pears, from the experiments of Berthier and Vicafc, 
the highest authorities upon this subject ;—that no mixture, of 
w.iich silica does rrot form a part, acquires hydraulic proper¬ 
ties,—that limes coivaintng only silica or alumina, or better 
those containing silica and magnesia, acquire a much greater 
degree of hardness than the stlica-es of pure lime; and that 
the oxides of iron and manganese contribute nothing to the 
hardening of these bodies. 
“ More recently, M. Vicat has asserted, that magnesia alone, 
when in sufficient quantity, will render pure lime hydraulic. 
The proportions of magnesia w hich he recommends, are fr in 
thirty to forty percent of it, weighed after calcination, toevery 
f >rty of pure anhydrous lime. * M. Vicat also points out the 
importance of these observations;—hydraulic lime never hav¬ 
ing been found in the calcareous formation below the lias, is 
because the dolomites have never been examined; but it is 
now probable that it may be found in this formation.’* ” 
“ The mode of preparing the cement is sufficiently sim 
pie. The limestone is first reduced to small fragments, 
which are then thrown into a kiln, with layers of the 
screenings of anthracite intermixed. At an interval of 
of twelve hours, the lower layers of the kiln are remov¬ 
ed, and fresh portions of the limestone thrown into the 
upper part. These operations are so managed, that 
each layer is subjected to heat for about three days. 
“ The lime thus calcined, is of a light drab colour, and 
when reduced to powder and mixed with about one-third ils 
bulk of sand and made into paste with water, soon becomes 
hard. The grinding is performed in a mill, and the powdered 
cement is put up in barrels, which are lined with paper, to 
exclude as much as possible, the contact of air. The cement 
thus prepared, is sold at $2.25 the barrel.” 
* lomSoa <fc Edita burgh Tbiloeophkul Mag.iXI scries, VUL.091- 
Water limestone is found in the counties of Albany, 
in the Heldefbergh; of Herkimer, Oneida, Madison, in 
most of the western counties, and particularly in the 
county of Ulster, in which latter place, upon the Ron- 
dout, and Hudson and Delaware canal, 3,000 barrels of 
this cement are manufactured weekly, a great portion 
of which is employed in the Croton aqueduct, and in 
the United States’ works, near Boston. Dr. Beck g;ives 
the following analyses of the Ulster county hydraulic 
lime, the first set of figures showing the proportions in 
its natural, and the second set in its calcined state. 
Carbonic acid,. 
5.00 
Lime, .. 
Magnesia,. i. 
37.60 
16.65 
Silica,. 
22.75 
Alumina,. 
13.40 
Oxide of iron,. 
3.30 
Bituminous matter, 
moisture and 
loss,. 
1.30 
100.00 
100.00 
Acknowledgements. 
From the Hon. James M. Garnet, of Virginia, a drill- 
barrow, which sows four rows at a time—of which we 
shall speak further when we have tried it. From Mr. 
Fitzhugh, Indiana, seed corn, a cross of the Tuscarora 
and Sweet or Sugar varieties, which we have planted. 
From George C. Thorburn, New-York, a bushel of the 
celebrated Whitineton wheat, a plant of the Tobolsk 
rhubarb, the London Gardener’s Gazette, and choice 
flower seeds. Several samples of Indian corn and other 
seeds, from different gentlemen. A sample of imported 
Italian wheat from J. Hathaway, of Rome. Several 
kinds of seedling potatoes, from John McLean, of Cay¬ 
uga. Seeds from H. Collamore, Esq. Pembroke, Mass. 
Sample of premium corn, from W. Ingall, of Oswego. It 
is of the Dutton variety, beautiful—the ears eleven and 
twelve inches long, and well filled to the tips—twelve 
ears giving more than thirteen half pints of shelled corn. 
From the Rev. Mr. Colman, several valuable agricultural 
pamphlets. From J. W. Proctor, Essex Agricultural 
Society Transactic ns; from T. H. Webb, Dr. Jackson’s 
Geological Reports, and other pamphlets. 
CORRESPONDENCE, 
The Revolving Gate. 
Norfolk, Litchfield co. Ct. March 5,1839. 
Mr. J. Buel —Sir— I feel a great reluctance to write 
for an agricultural paper like yours; but feeling it a 
duty to impart instruction as well as receive it, I herein 
will attempt to describe a kind of gate that I erected 
last summer, which I shall term the revolving gate. It 
is made as follows, viz:—Set two posts, 5 feet 4 inches 
high from the ground; let the top of the posts incline a 
little inward, so that the gate will not shut against them; 
bore a hole in each post 4 inches from the top, and mor¬ 
tise from the hole upwards, to receive the pin or axis of 
the gate, or the abutments of a stone wall may be sub¬ 
stituted for posts. Take scantling say 10 feet long, 3 
inches square, for uprights; frame slats, boards or poles 
into one end of the uprights, to the height of 4 feet; bore 
a hole in the centre of each upright for the pin or axis, 
which may be made of wood or iron. 
\ \ I send you a draw- 
[Fig.No.13.] ing of this ante, the 
better to enable you 
to understand it. 
a a Posts, b b Up¬ 
rights. c c Pins, or 
axis of wood or iron, 
on which the gate re¬ 
volves. dd Weights 
to balance the lower 
part, e A pin to 
fasten the gate. 
The top of the 
uprights ought to 
just balance the bot¬ 
tom or gate part, ei¬ 
ther by large but 
ends, or by adding weights. A gate of the above de¬ 
scription will swing up 6 feet in the clear. The only 
objection to this gate is, it will not receive a high load; 
this may be remedied in two ways—1st, by making 
them light, so that two men will take them out with 
ease;, or, 2d, the posts may be made higher. If the 
gate is 4 feet high, and the axis is 8 feet high, the gate 
when it revolves will be 12 feet in the clear—but 1 
should prefer the former. 
The advantages of these over ordinary gates are— 
1. They are cheap—they need not cost much if any 
more than posts and rails, and in the long run are much 
cheaper. 
2. They are very simple, as any farmer can make 
them without the help of a mechanic. 
3. They require no bracing to keep them from drag¬ 
ging. 
4. They will not pull over the posts. 
5. They are not liable to get out of repair by sagging, 
or being blown by the wind. 
6. When opened they do not form aji angle for cattle 
to run behind. 
7. They are not liable to be opened by unruly cattle, 
and if properly balanced, a child will open them. 
8. They will open more handily,, when the snow is 
drifted about them. 
d 
l 
a 
• c 
