88 
laborers or farm-servants, unless they are married, 
“are generally huddled together in what they call a 
boothy. Each man has his allowance of meal and milk ; 
and brose [oat-meal with milk or water,] constitutes 
his breakfast, dinner and supper”!!! 
BENEFITS OF DRAINING. 
In the “Mark Lane Express,” it is stated, that land 
which, with difficulty, had been let at five shillings per 
acre, became worth two guineas (42s.) to the landlord, 
by the mere operation of draining. This, says the wri¬ 
ter, I know to be the ease on many large estates in 
Scotland. It is mentioned, that an increase of twelve 
bushels an acre may be counted upon as one result of 
draining; but I can appeal to the principal agriculturists 
of East-Lothian and Ayreshire, (the counties where 
draining is most advanced,) whether the increase of 
crop consequent upon that process may not more pro¬ 
perly be put at double , and even treble , the previous 
produce of the land. 
'CULTURE OF THE POTATO. 
Some interesting facts in regard to the culture of the 
potato, are given in a communication of Mr. Towers, a 
correspondent of the late Mr. Knight, in the Quarterly 
Journal of Agriculture. The communication embraces 
the opinions and experience both of Mr. Towers and 
Mr. Knight; and no persons are better qualified, per¬ 
haps, than these two gentlemen were, both from their 
knowledge of vegetable physiology and numerous and 
carefully conducted experiments, to make sound con¬ 
clusions in the matter. 
Potatoes will grow in any soil, containing vegetable 
matter; but, says Mr. Towers, the produce in amount 
or quality appears to be materially influenced by local 
agencies, even in soils of the same constitution; and he 
cites cases, where a kind is very good in one district, 
and very inferior when grown in another district. 
That soil and routine of culture which produce the 
strongest haulm, will yield the greatest bulk of tubers; 
though if the foliage is too massive, the quality of the 
tubers will be inferior, and prove deficient in starch. 
He therefore prefers a medium growth of tops, wherein 
the balance of strength is supported between the stem 
and the leaves, the result of a well prepared and heal¬ 
thy soil, reciprocating with the stimulus of the sun’s 
rays, and the decomposing agencies of atmospheric air 
and water. Firmness o t texture and mealiness ought 
to be the standard, rather than weight of tuber; and 
such, he says, may be produced by proper manage¬ 
ment, on all soils. Although Mr. Knight has calculated 
that 1,000 bushels, weighing 801bs. each, may be pro¬ 
duced on an acre, partially demonstrated by experiment, 
Mr. Towers estimates the average crop of the county 
at 300 bushels. 
Mr. Towers finds fault with the practice of cutting 
potatoes sometime before they are planted. The starch 
exudes from the cut surface, and the set becomes soft 
and flaccid in consequence of emptying the cellular 
tissue by evaporation. He cuts in the field as he 
plants. 
He quotes a letter from Mr. Knight, saying, that he 
obtained 670 bushels of 801bs. each, from an acre; that 
he always plants whole seed, and selects the largest for 
seed, and from very early crops; that he plants them up¬ 
on their ends, to stand with the crown end upwards, at 
four or six inches apart in the rows, and the rows tvo 
to four feet apart, according to the natural growth of 
the tops, the taller growth requiring the widest intervals 
—if the height of the stems be three feet, the intervals 
between the rows should be four feet. 
Both of these gentlemen concur in the opinion, that 
the blossoms take away a great deal of sap, or nutri¬ 
ment; and they therefore prefer those kinds for cul¬ 
ture, which do not produce seeds, or balls, of which 
Mr. Knight obtained several new varieties by cross 
impregnation. The exhausting influence of blossoms 
and fruit may be seen upon fruit trees. If a tree 
fruits abundantly, it makes little or no growth in wood; 
if one blossoms which has been just before transplant¬ 
ed, it proves injurious or fatal to the tree. 
To obtain early potatoes, Mr. Knight takes those 
which have ripened early, for the reason, that those 
which ripen late, are not sufficiently “ excitable ,” though 
more eligible for a late, or rather moderately early crop, 
the produce of which will be proper to plant for a very 
early crop. Mr. Knight adds, that immature potatoes, 
or those which have not become perfectly ripe, are as 
good for planting as others. Mr. Towers’ experiment 
with early potatoes, gave an increase of six for one. 
Mr. Towers cuts his potatoes into sets comprising 
two, and not more than three eyes. He calls the end 
where the eyes are chiefly congregated, the rose, or 
crown; and he cuts diagonally, dividing the crown into 
different sets. Two facts are here stated, which, we 
confess we never before considered, but of the truth of 
which we are satisfied, and which we believe few far¬ 
mers have duly appreciated. We state them in Mr. 
Towers’ words. 
“ First —All the eyes of entire potatoes do not push at one 
time, therefore it is a mistake to suppose, that a plant be¬ 
comes crowded by a useless haulm, if the potatoes be planted 
whole.” [We see this at planting. Some eyes have sent 
forth their sprouts, while others remain perfectly dormant.] 
“Again —Persons have imagined, that weakness of the 
root is occasioned by the destructive action of frost upon the 
earliest shoots. This is also a mistaken notion. For if any 
eyes remain unexcited in the tuber under ground, the loss of 
one shoot is speedily supplied by the substitution of another. 
Time may, indeed, be sacrificed to a certain extent, but that 
is all. Of this any one may convince himself, by endeavor¬ 
ing to exterminate a straggling potato; he may hoe, or pull 
off the first shoots, and think his ground cleared of the in- 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
truder; but in a week or two the spot will be again occupied, 
and it will be perceived, that nothing short of the complete 
removal of the tuber can prove effectual. If sets, with one 
or two eyes, have been planted, and have sent up all their 
shoots, then the destruction by frost may prove fatal; but it 
may happen that a shoot may appear to be killed to the ground, 
and yet produce a fruitful plant, though late in the season, 
from embryo eyes seated round the stem, near its point of 
eruction from the potato,” 
These gentlemen seem to have arrived at the conclu¬ 
sion, and it is certainly a rational one, that light, that 
is, the influence of solar light upon the plants and soil, 
has a controuling influence upon the quality and pro¬ 
duct ; and hence they argue, that the foliage should not 
be crowded, but be duly exposed to the sun and air. 
Mr. Towers prefers sets for seed to whole tubers.— 
He found that sets gave as great a product as whole tu¬ 
bers ; generally about six of produce to one of seed, and 
that by this means he effected a great saving of seed. 
He also applied lime, ashes or gypsum to his cut pota¬ 
toes before burying them in the ground, not only to in¬ 
crease their growth, and prevent the waste of their 
juices, but to prevent their being attacked by the grub. 
In several experiments he obtained 3541bs. from 121bs. 
of seed, 520 from 301bs. 215 from 221bs. and 1501bs. from 
301bs. of seed. 
The potato, according to Mr. Towers, prefers a free 
soil; but where the soil is heavy, he advises, that the 
land be set up in one bout ridges in autumn, to expose 
a great surface to the frost; that the manure be previ¬ 
ously added, with coal ashes if they are to be had, 
which never fail to meliorate heavy binding earth. He 
says that the plant affects a light rich soil, wherein its 
fibrous roots and tuber bearing processes may wander 
laterally but not deeply; that the manure should be well 
blended with the earth; and that six inches of good 
mould is enough for the crop. 
The keeping quality of a variety of potatoes is to be 
judged of by the protrusion of their eyes or shoots in 
spring, the eyes of the good keepers remaining longest 
dormant. To keep them in good eating condition, du¬ 
ring winter, he advises that they be kept in a dry cave, 
or pit, or cellar, where the utmost degree of equable 
cold can be maintained, consistent with the exclusion of 
frost. 
EXHIBITION OF SEEDS. 
An exhibition of seed corn and grass seeds is noticed 
in a late Gardeners’ Gazette, at which handsome pre¬ 
miums were awarded for the best parcels. The weight 
of some of the prize seeds were as follows:—Barley"57 
and 581bs. 3oz. the chevalier the heaviest; oats 451bs.: 
rye grass 211bs. the bushel. Whatever diversity of opi¬ 
nion may prevail, as to the policy of awarding premi¬ 
ums on fat cattle and large crops, none we believe is 
entertained as to the propriety of encouraging, by pre¬ 
mium, the raising and selling of good seeds. 
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. 
In Great-Britain there are 961,154 families, embrac¬ 
ing 4,805,670 individuals, which belong to the agri¬ 
cultural class, and a total population of 16,539.318— 
a proportion of a little more than one agriculturist 
in four of the population. In Ireland, the agricultu¬ 
ral families amount to 884,339, embracing 4,863,864 
individuals, in a total population of 7,767,441. The 
cultivated acres in Great-Britain exceed 34,000,000; in 
Ireland they do not amount to 15,000,000. 
AGRICULTURAL MUSEUMS. 
Two have recently been established in Ireland. 
CORN LAWS. 
When the average price of wheat in the British mar¬ 
ket is under 70s. ($15.54,) per quarter of eight bushels, 
the importation of foreign grain is prohibited; when 
the average price is over 70s. the importation is per¬ 
mitted, on the payment of a duty of 17s. a quarter.— 
This was under the old corn law. The maximum price 
has since been reduced to 60s. per quarter. 
COLLECTIONS. 
Early Rising. —There is no time spent so stupidly 
as that which inconsiderate people pass in a morning 
between sleeping and Avaking. He who is up may be 
at work, or amusing himself; he who is asleep, is re¬ 
ceiving the refreshment necessary to fit him for action; 
but the hours spent in dozing and slumbering are wast¬ 
ed Avithout either pleasure or profit. The sooner you 
leave your bed, the seldomer you will be confined to it. 
When old people have been examined, in order to as¬ 
certain the cause of their longevity, they have uniform¬ 
ly agreed in one thing only, that they “ all went to bed 
and rose early.”— Gardeners’ Gaz. 
The German Press.—It is calculated that ten millions 
of volumes are annually printed in Germany, and that 
there are upwards of fifty thousand authors of one or 
more books. 
Encomium of Socrates upon Agriculture. —“ Agricul¬ 
ture,” says Socrates, “ is an employment the most wor¬ 
thy the application ofman, the most ancient and themost 
suitable to his nature; it is the common nurse of all 
persons, in every age and condition of life; it is the 
source of health, strength, plenty and riches, and of a 
thousand sober delights and honest pleasures. It is the 
mistress and school of sobriety, temperance, justice, re¬ 
ligion, and in short of all virtues, civil and military.”— 
Socrates would no longer be counted a sage in this en¬ 
lightened age; for even many farmers have discovered, 
that his counsels are erroneous, and that agriculture is 
subordinate to the more genteel pursuits of life ; and 
they therefore wisely resolve to make their sons mea¬ 
surers of tape and molasses, or retailers of law, rather 
than tillers of the soil. 
Measuring light. —Sir John Herschell has lately in¬ 
vented an instrument for measuring the intensity of 
light, and he has found, that at the Cape of Good Hope 
this is twice as great as in England. “Although tempe¬ 
rature has a great deal to do Avith plants,” remarks Prof. 
Hall, “ probably light has much more.” 
artificial meadows. 
The vast benefits resulting from artificial meadows, 
or in other Avords, of selecting for them plants of our 
own choosing, and alternating Avith grain and root crops, 
is strongly illustrated in the following extract from 
Yvart, a French agricultural writer. 
“ If meadows,” says he, “ be the nerve of good husbandry, 
it is, above all_ to artificial meadows we must apply this great 
truth. The state of those cantons which have adopted the 
new system, is now as brilliant as it was before wretched 
and miserable. Alsace has put on a new face since the intro¬ 
duction of clover, and wheat crops have been increased more 
than one-third. The village of Sebach, under the old sys¬ 
tem. bought annually 180,0001bs. of forage, and now sells 
150,000. The canton of Virien, which gave formerly only 
rye and buckwheat, (and poor crops of these,) now gives 
abundant crops of fine wheat. This is altogether owing to 
clover and gypsum. The same remark applies to the depart¬ 
ment of Doubs. In the departments of the Seine and Oise, 
the four year rotation is adopted, of which clover is the basis, 
and more than double the produce is raised for exportation. In 
Varenne, the soil of which is a poor sand, the same effect is pro¬ 
duced, by sainfoin, instead of clover. In a canton of the de¬ 
partment of Loiret, M. Segret has doubled his income by the 
introduction and culture of Lucerne.” 
THE BUDGET. 
Cutting Bushes .—Oliver Moore asks, at what season 
bushes, sprouts and timber should be cut, that they may 
not grow again—and if the moon has any influence in 
the matter? If we are to regard popular opinion, the 
old moon in August is the propitious time to cut bushes, 
&c. to prevent their sprouting again; and so far as we 
have had experience, it goes to confirm popular opinion. 
In August, there is probably less sap circulating in 
trees than at any other time in summer, and conse¬ 
quently there is less disposition to throw up new sprouts; 
while the intense heat of the season, operating upon the 
Avounds, tends to destroy vitality. All we Avill pretend 
to say in regard to lunar influence is, that there is ordi¬ 
narily a more abundant flow of sap in the new than in 
the old moon. We therefore advise that bushes be cut 
in the old moon in August. _ Mr. Moore is informed, 
that the entire volumes of the Cultivator may be had, 
either stitched or bound. 
Short-Horn Bull .—George P. Hawley, of Frankfort, 
Herkimer, asks us where he can buy a full blooded Short- 
Horn bull, spring calves, &c. and John Sommer, 3d, of 
Passumpsic, Yt. informs us he has such a bull to sell. 
C. N. Bement has also one or two. We have opened 
an advertising page particularly for the buyers and sel¬ 
lers of farm-stock, implements, seeds, &c. 
Foreign Agricultural Periodicals .—A correspondent, 
J. M’M. asks us to recommend to him a foreign agricul¬ 
tural journal. We recommend the Quarterly Journal 
of Agriculture, published quarterly at Edinburgh, and 
the Farmers’ Magazine, published monthly in London, 
both or either, as the best we are acquainted Avith.— 
Our correspondent will requite all obligations to us, by 
sending the result of his pending “ experiments,” favo¬ 
rable and unfavorable, in the Miami valley. 
Silk Culture in the District of Columbia .—Our Wa¬ 
shington correspondent writes—“Besides a number of 
individuals who have commenced growing multicaulis 
in this district, the Washington City Silk Company have 
purchased a farm near the city, at $12,000, have planted 
200,000 buds, and are feeding the worms from five 
ounces of eggs. Th ( e company have also purchased 
three of Gay’s Machines, and intend to manufacture all 
the cocoons they can either make or purchase in the 
district.” And we hope they will employ in their la¬ 
bors, the invalid, the indigent and the young. Thus 
they may feed the hungry and clothe the naked, without 
serious prejudice to their interests. 
Thrashing Machines .—It is out of our power to add 
to the information we have published on this subject. 
In answer to the inquiry of J. D. Rodney. 
THE “ROBINSON FUND.” 
“For the encouragement of those Avho feel disposed 
to contend for these premiums, I have to inform you, 
that the seat of justice of Lake county has lately been 
located in the town where those premium lots are situ¬ 
ated, and Avhich will greatly enhance their value. May 
they be as nobly Avon, as they will be freely given. I 
remain, respectfully, SOLON ROBINSON.” 
Legislative Encouragement to Agriculture. 
The following is an extract of a private letter to the 
conductor. The writer is a farmer. His letter will 
show that he is a gentleman of talents, and a patroit. 
We do not feel at liberty to give his name. It mat¬ 
ters little whose hand records truths, if they concern, 
as the subject of this letter does, the most important 
interests of the state. We commend the subject mat¬ 
ter to the serious attention of our readers, of all classes. 
June 1, 1839. 
J. Buel, Esq.—Dear Sir—I intended to have written 
to you immediately on the rising of the legislature, but 
ill health and other engagements have compelled me to 
put off till the present time. Is it not vexatious, that 
