THE CULTIVATOR 
19 
pels of flour from his wheat crop on these forty acres— 
being an average of twenty-five bushels of wheat to the 
acre. Mr. Weaver does not object to taking several 
successive crops of corn or wheat from the same land, 
■provided it is rich. He contends that it is necessary to 
take two successive crops of wheat from his clover field, 
in order to cleanse and pulverize it sufficiently to secure 
a good stand of clover. It should be stated that con¬ 
siderable quantities of manure from Mr. Weaver’s barn 
and stables are applied to this field, on the young clo¬ 
ver. Mr. Weaver uses all his manure as a top dressing 
to his grass lands and clover lots. He disapproves the 
practice of plowing under manure. 
Mr. Weaver’s standing pastures are the finest I ever 
saw, consisting of a most luxuriant growth of white clo¬ 
ver and green sward. The only objection to them is, 
that they are too much infested with “ rich weed,” as it 
is termed, and thistles, which Mr. Weaver has not had 
time this year to destroy, in consequence of his unusu¬ 
ally heavy crops, and the destruction of his iron estab¬ 
lishment, saw mill, and a long line of fence, by the Ju¬ 
ly freshet. He fattens upon them a number of bullocks, 
besides keeping a large dairy stock of very pretty cattle. 
Mr. Weaver’s stock of every kind, horses, of which 
he has very few, mules, cattle and hogs, are of a very 
fine quality, and are all kept constantly fat—the most 
economical and profitable mode, as Mr. Weaver con¬ 
tends, of keeping stock. He crushes all his corn for 
stock feeding in the ear, and he considers his crushing 
machine the most profitable upon his estate. 
Rockbridge co. Fa. Aug. 29, 1842. Ploughboy. 
IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY.—No. I. 
OuE, object of the New-York State Agricultural Soci¬ 
ety, is to collect and diffuse information on the most im¬ 
portant and interesting subjects connected with agricul¬ 
ture. How far it has succeeded in this, must be obvi¬ 
ous to all who have noticed its progress for the last two 
years. By its public meetings it draws together men 
from different sections of the state; by its premiums it 
induces them to bring what they suppose of peculiar ex¬ 
cellence; it invites them to give a histoiu’" of their suc¬ 
cessful and unsuccessful efforts. In its exhibitions, an 
animal that is considered excellent by one, is placed bj^ 
the side of another that is deemed superior. An oppor¬ 
tunity is offered for comparison, inquiry is excited, and 
thus all may judge for themselves, which, in their esti¬ 
mation, possesses the fairest claims to preference. 
The same is true in respect to implements of hus¬ 
bandry. Few employments make a greater demand up¬ 
on the physical powers than farming. The call, there¬ 
fore, for improvements of skill are in as great demand 
in this as they ever will he in any other employment. 
In no business, however, has the head done so little, and 
left the hands so much to perform. The head has not, 
however, been slower in invention than the disposition 
to adopt the improvements which have been made. Be¬ 
fore the introduction of Agricultural papers, in districts 
at no great remove, implements of husbandry, possess¬ 
ing great and distinct advantages above those in common 
use, were possessed, the employment of which, if not 
the knowledge of their existence, was confined to very 
limited circles. Prejudice may have been among the 
causes; ignorance that better were in use, however,was 
the most general. 
Among the recent improvements of the day, in agri¬ 
cultural machinery, may be classed the corn and cob 
crusher, worked by liand or other power. Heretofore 
it was necessary to carry our corn to mill, which in ma¬ 
ny sections of the country was several miles distant, and 
besides paying toll, nine times out of ten the grist would 
have to be left, and another jaunt be made for it; which 
taking into account the toll, and time spent with a team 
in conveying it to and from the mill, I am not much sur¬ 
prised that the practice of grinding corn in the ear, has 
not been more generally adopted. To economise and 
lighten labor is an object worthy the attention ol every 
farmer. 
As to the value of corn and cob ground together for 
feed for animals, it is conceded, I believe, by all who 
have given it a fair trial. From the many evidences of 
the nutriment contained in the corn cob, the one made a 
few years ago by Mr. Minor, of Virginia, is decisive. 
On distillation of five bushels of cob meal, Mr, M. pro¬ 
cured four gallons of spirit. He also found other nutri- 
trive matter than the saccharine which is converted into 
alcohol, as mucilage and oils. 
“ But besides the actual economy,” says Mr. Minor, 
in the American Farmer, who had several years expe¬ 
rience, “ there is another advantage in this way of feed¬ 
ing corn, which ought to engage the attention of every 
farmer. It is notoriously true, that the unground grain 
of corn, is heating to the stomach of all animals, and of 
difficult digestion, producing cholic, and other inflam¬ 
matory disorders, particularly in horses. They are de¬ 
prived of the benefits derived from the stimulus of dis¬ 
tension, (so necessary to the proper health of all ani¬ 
mals,) by being unable to eat a sufficient bulk to pro¬ 
duce it before they become gorged.” For hogs, corn 
and cob meal is much improv^ed by scalding; and by 
boiling with vegetables of any kind, and yet more by a 
partial fermentation. 
! With the machines I am about to describe, we have 
the means of crushing and grinding corn and cob on our 
own premises, either with hand, horse or water power. 
And first in order, will be the one exhibited at our Fair 
in Sept, last, by Mr. Obed Hussey,of Baltimore, Md., to 
.which was awarded the Society’s first premium. 
This machine, of which fig, 9 is a pictorial rep- 
(Hmsscj/’s Corn arid Cob Crusher. — Fig. 9.) 
resentation, occupies about 3 feet square on the floor, 
and weighs about 275 lbs. and is calculated for horse or 
water power. The band pully is 15 inches in diameter, 
a size intended to reduce the motion sufficiently, when 
put in place of the thresher and driver by the same band, 
and to do quick work will require about 400 revolutions 
per minute; but less will answer. “It is capable of re¬ 
ducing,” says Mr. Hussey, ‘^with two to four horses, 
from six to ten bushels of corn and cob per hour, and it 
has ground six bushels per hour with one horse, but he 
was a strong and powerful animal.” The corn is fed 
into a tube, one ear at a time, with the hand, the feed¬ 
ing graduated by the tlriving power, as it will take feed 
according to the power applied. The grinders are made 
of cast iron, the cob cutters of steel, arid when worn out 
can be replaced for a trifling expense, say one dollar 
and fifty cents per pair; and can be taken off, put on, 
and adjusted by any mechanic of ordinary ingenuity. 
The whole is substantially made, apparently of good ma¬ 
terials, and put together in a workmanlike manner. The 
pi-ice, in Baltimore, including an extra set of grinders, 
is $35. 
I have one of the abovementioned mills now in ope¬ 
ration on my premises, worked by a small over-shot 
water wheel, 6 feet in diameter, buckets 18 inches long, 
receiving a very small column of water, say six inches 
square,with one foot head,and giving the mill only about 
250 revolutions per minute. With this feeble power, I 
have ground 3 bushels of corn and cob per hour. After 
mixing the cob meal with oats, and setting the mill 
finer, I have run through it six bushels within the hour, 
and when mixed with wheat screenings, at the rate of 
8 bushels per hour, reducing it as fine as shorts. It 
grinds oats better than any mill I have ever tried, and 
they have not been few. If a hopper was attached, so 
that the feeding could be graduated, all kinds of grain, 
for feeding, may be ground with ease; and so far as my 
experience has gone, I can safely and confidently recom¬ 
mend it, as being a very useful and efficient machine for 
the purposes intended. 
Next in order, is “ Baldwin’s cob and corn crusher,” * 
which was exhibited by iVTr. Sinclair, of Baltimore, and 
took the Society’s second premium. 
This machine has been in use for several yeai’s, and 
if I were to judge from the appearance of the mill, and 
the testimony of those who have it in use, I should pro¬ 
nounce it a very powerful and efficient machine, and not 
very liable to be put out of order, and to last one's life 
time. The principle is entirely diff'erent from that of 
Mr. Hussey; one being a grinder, the other a crws/icr. It 
occupies more space, say 3 by 4 feet on the flodr, and 
weighs about 800 lbs. The operating part is of cast 
iron, and very substantial. There are three series of 
fluted rollers; the first set, coarsely fluted, which pinch¬ 
es off the ear as it is fed through a small hole in the toj), 
one ear at a time, and the pieces drop into the second 
set, which are still finer, and then fall into the third, 
which reduces it as fine as coarse hommony. 
A correspondent in the American Farmer, over (he 
signature of “ A. H. T.” referring to this machine, says: 
“ Previous to the purchase of the crusher, we averaged 
the daily consumption of 214 ears of corn per day. Our 
stock then and now, number seven head. One hundred 
and sixty ears of the ordinary size are now run through 
the crusher; they make 2f heaping bushels of crushed 
corn and cob. The different appearance of the horses, 
and their ability to work, prove beyond a doubt, that the 
crusher affords a more nutritious and healthy food. It 
will be seen it also places to our credit, 54 ears of corn 
per day, which would amount to upwards of 30 barrels 
a year, worth at the average Baltimore prices, nearly 
double the cost of the crusher. With four men to turn, 
and a hoy to feed, from 4 to 5 bushels per hour can be 
crushed. To woi-k the machine effectually and econo¬ 
mically, it must have velocity, which cannot be readily 
effected by manual power. With a two horse power, 
13 bushels of corn and cob can be crushed in one hour. 
The crusher in question, came from the manufactory of 
* An engraving of this was given at n. 66, vol. VIIl, of the 
Cultivator. e i . > 
Messrs. R. Sinclair Jr. & Co. Baltimore. During the 
two years we have had it in use, and quite roughly, it 
has not cost us one cent for repairs, and is now in as 
good order as when purchased.” This, to say (he least, is 
high praise in its favor, and from a careful inspection 
of the mill, I should think it true, and goes far to re¬ 
commend it, and is what may be called practical proof, 
the best kind of proof. 
The mill exhibited at the State Fair, in Sept, last, is 
now on sale, at the store of Wm. Thorburn, Esq. Broad¬ 
way, Albany. Price $85. C. N. Bement. 
Three Hills Farm, Dec. 1842. 
THE BASKET WILLOW, 
Messes. Gayloed & Tuckee —At this period of low 
prices for agricultural products, it becomes the duty of 
every patriotic citizen, to point out all new articles for 
culture, that can afford profit to our farmers; more par¬ 
ticularly such as will lessen the amount of foreign im¬ 
portations, our purchases having exceeded our sales five 
hundred millions of dollars in thii-ty years. 
Of all the imports into our country, I have been more 
surprised to see that of the basket willow in large quan¬ 
tities than of all others. In every state I have traveled 
over in this country, I have seen thousands of acres of 
land now lying useless, that might be made highly pro¬ 
fitable to their owners, by planting the willow. Fresh 
water swampy, land, useless for common agricultural 
purposes, is the best for planting the willow. The bas¬ 
ket willow is a light bulky article, and I have no doubt 
our farmers could raise them, take off their bark, and send 
them to market at a fair profit, for the usual cost of tran¬ 
sit and other expenses incidental to the importation. 
Yet with such decided advantages in our favor, tens of 
thousands of bundles are imported into this country eve¬ 
ry year from Holland. 
I have some practical knowledge on this subject, which 
I send you, in hopes (hat some of our enterprising farm¬ 
ers will attend to it, and raise the article for home con¬ 
sumption. Our basket makers inform me, that Ameri¬ 
can willows are sometimes offered for sale, but that (hey 
are a brashy article, and of course very inferior to the 
tough foreign willow. 
I was brought up to the dyeing business in England, 
in which eight of our copper kettles were appropriated 
to piece dyeing, five of them to delicate colors, requir¬ 
ing baskets inside to defend the goods from contracting 
stains, b}^ coming in contact with the metal. To make 
the baskets, we raised two acres of willows, and we con¬ 
sidered the profit equal to forty pounds per acre, after 
p.aying all expenses of cultivation, and of stripping off 
the bark. These willow beds were planted in fresh wa¬ 
ter swampy land, by throwing the soil into ridges, and 
planting cuts of willows about two feet apart. Our bed 
was old when I was young, and is now as productive as 
ever. Now and then, old stumps had to be taken up, and 
fresh cuts planted in their place. As we required large 
willows for our baskets, excepting for a part of (he fill¬ 
ing in, we cut them every two years; whereas, for com¬ 
mon domestic baskets, they are cut every year. After a 
new bed is jtlanted, the product will be light the first 
year; increasing in number annually, as the s;umps grow 
larger. They should be cut in the spring when the sap 
is running, tied in convenient bundles, with one of the 
smaller willows, and the butt ends put into a mud hole 
containing water, to prevent the bark tightening- before 
it is convenient to peel (hem. When we planted new 
ones, we merely cut off about two feet in length from the 
butt ends of the largest willows, and thrust them into the 
ridgips where required, to about (vvo-tliirds of their 
length, leaving one-third above the ground for bearing. 
As I mentioned before, the willows when cut, were 
made into bundles and placed in a mud hole, to keep the 
bark loose until they were peeled. I will now describe 
the process of peeling, which may be i)erformed by any 
boy or girl of ten jmars old. The peeling machine was 
very simple. It consisfed of two pieces of sound tough 
wood, opening about one inch at the top, and coming 
nearly close together at the bottom; inside of each piece 
was inserted a small round piece of iron, leaving half its 
diameter projecting from the wood, and the whole was 
about two feet in length, the irons coming close together 
at the bottom. This machine was firmly fixed in the end 
of a strong wooden bench, very much like that used by 
shoemakers, standing perpendicular from it. When 
worked, a bundle of willows, washed from the mud,were 
placed parallel with the bench; (he operator sitting a- 
cross it, drew the willows through the machine, letting 
it sink to where the irons grasped the bark. In many 
instances, once drawing through would strip the bark, if 
not, the willow was turned and drawn through where 
the bark still adhered. All the children I ever knew, 
were fond of this work, and it was quite a frolic for half 
a dozen boys, on as many benches, striving who could 
strip the greatest number in a given time. 
Any farmer desirous of cultivating the willow, must 
make sure that he obtains the right species, as his future 
success will entirely depend on this circumstance. There 
is a great variety of the willow, and but few sufficiently 
tough for the basket maker. To prevent mistake in the 
commencement, it would be well to obtain cuttings from 
Holland, thi-ough the agency of the American consul. 
In a few years, these may be increased to produce an ade¬ 
quate supply for our demand. I have been informed 
that a German basket maker, residing, if my memory 
serves me, near Boston, raises his own willows, and has 
made money by the operation. Wm. Paeteidge. 
New-York, Dec. 6, 1842. 
