20 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
MERINO AND SAXONY SHEEP, 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —In your Sept. No. is 
a communication from Mr. Sotham, headed Sheep Hus¬ 
bandry, in which he asks whether the Merino and Saxony 
are distinct breeds. Thinking I could point the way, if 
not give you direct information on a subject of no trifling 
importance, I send the recollections of my readings on 
the Merino controversy in England, in the attempt to 
establish them as a profitable breed for the rich pastures 
of the United Kingdoms, which the present limitednum- 
ber. now kept, proves to have been a fallacious idea. 
Mutton and wool united, there, and will here, carry the 
palm of merit, over wool alone. The question will be 
between the South Down and the Merino, not between 
the Merino and Leicester. 
I do not recollect the date when the then Elector of 
Saxony received from Spain,—although a law then ex¬ 
isted making it death to export or transport a pure meri¬ 
no sheep from that country,—a number of sheep, and so 
well satisfied was he of their superior merits, that he 
obliged every vassal of the state, to receive (as the me¬ 
rinos increased,) a proportion of those sheep in prefer¬ 
ence to any other stock themselves might think it right 
to keep. He then established a board of scientific and 
practical men, and three times in each year, a regular 
examination of all the lambs of that year took place, by 
every individual lamb being placed upon a table, when 
symmetry of form and fineness of wool, was the passport 
to forming a part of the royal flock. With so rigid a 
scrutiny, will Mr. Sotham be surprised, that the Saxon 
Merino carries with it the superiority thought by him to 
indicate a distinct breed? There are three distinct breeds 
or races of Spanish Merinos, and little doubt can be made 
but so enthusiastic an amateur as the then Elector, pro¬ 
cured from his Spanish Majesty the best of the three. 
James Jones. 
St. Davids, Canada West, Oct. 15, 1842. 
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS, &c. 
Editors of the Cultivator —^Willyounot through 
your columns, say to the venders of “ Warren’s Horse 
Power and Threshing Machine,” that if they would fur¬ 
nish to the readers of the Cultivator, such a description 
of their horse power and machine, as to enable us to form 
an opinion respecting its capabilities, they would proba¬ 
bly advance their own interest as well as gratify the pub¬ 
lic. So extensive is the circulation of the Cultivator, 
that but comparatively a small portion of its readers can 
have an opportunity to examine an article which is ma¬ 
nufactured in but one or two places in the Union, and as in 
modern times it is not always safe to purchase a thing be¬ 
cause it is highly recommended, many decline to order 
from a distance a really useful article, solely from the fear 
of being imposed upon. I doubt not but that those who 
have furnished for the Cultivator, well executed draw¬ 
ings and descriptions of the various implements therein 
described, have consulted their interest in so doing. 
Those who have only seen a four or six horse power 
threshing machine, (the only kind used in this vicini¬ 
ty,) and witnessed the inefficiency of the machine when 
impelled by too light a team, may well be surprised at 
the statements made by the venders of single horse ma¬ 
chines. I always supposed that spiked cylinder machines 
required about 900 revolutions per minute, to do good 
work. Now in these single horse machines, is this rate 
of motion communicated to a shorter cylinder, or is the 
thresher constructed upon a different principle, so as to 
require less power and motion? I am led to make the 
above remarks and inquiries, by observing that one of 
your correspondents cautions farmers against purchasing 
any thing less than a 4 or 6 horse power machine. 
Corn Stalk Sugar _^I tried this year, an experiment 
in raising fodder by sowing corn broadcast; and although 
my ground was as fertile as river alluvion, and the seed 
put in in the best manner, the crop has fallen far short 
of my expectations. From a portion of the stalks raised 
as above, I tried an experiment on a small scale, to as- 
cer‘ain the practicability of making sugar therefrom. 
The result of this experiment has led me to the follow¬ 
ing conclusions: 
1st. That Mr. Webb’s statement of the amount of su¬ 
gar which can be made from an acre is not overrated. 
2d. That stripping the ears from the stalks is essential 
to the production of sugar, though not essential to the 
production of a much smaller quantity of excellent mo¬ 
lasses. 
3d. That large stalks yield much more juice than 
small ones, in proportion to their size, and that conse¬ 
quently, the corn should be grown in drills, and not by 
sowing broadcast. 
4th. That the principal labor in making sugar from 
corn stalks, consists in stripping off the leaves, and that 
this is most expeditiously accomplished before the stalks 
are cut. . . 
5th. That three quarts of juice will yield saccharine 
matter equal to one pound of sugar; or that eight gal¬ 
lons of juice will make one gallon of thick molasses. 
6th. That the manufacture of sugar from corn stalks 
is an object well worthy the attention of every family 
who has even one acre of ground to cultivate. 
Chinese Tree Corn. —Permit me to add a few words 
respecting the much talked of Chinese Corn. I think I 
can account for some of the contradictory statements re¬ 
specting it, and particularly, Messrs. Editors, for its me¬ 
tamorphosis under your cultivation. I have raised the 
corn for the last two seasons, and have been acquainted 
with its growth in this vicinity ever since its first intro¬ 
duction to public notice by Mr. Thorburn; and I can¬ 
not perceive that it has, as yet, any tendency to degene¬ 
rate, Compared with the corn ordinarily grown in the 
N. E. states, its growth is monstrous, and its time of ri¬ 
pening late: but compared with the tall gourd seed 
corn raised south of latitude 41°, in the western states, it 
is rather dwarfish, and not late. Many failures, I have 
no doubt, (and I think yours among the rest,) have pro¬ 
ceeded from close planting; for I feel confident that if 
this, or indeed any southern or western corn is cultivated 
after Dr. Physick’s mode, a great crop of stalks and 
leaves will be the only result. Less than 4| feet asun¬ 
der each way, and more than 3 kernels suffered to grow 
in the hill, will not answer for this corn. Planted in 
this way, my Chinese corn this year, has done all that I 
could ask of it, pi-oducing far more corn, and more •than 
double the fodder, that I could get from any other kind 
upon the same ground. 110 days, I consider necessary 
to perfect the crop in this climate, and mine has ripened 
in that time the past season, although there has not been 
a month free from frost since Aug. 1841. My location is 
in 41° 20 N. lat. and 6° 30 W. from Washington. 
In addition to our monthly frosts, I will mention as 
another peculiarity of the past season, the fact that in 
this vicinity, as far as I can learn, no bees have swarmed. 
I had one strong swarm in a hive somewhat similar to 
Week’s Vermont hive, with a pane of glass in the low¬ 
er part of it. In this hive, the first young bees were dis¬ 
covered about the last of July. Can Mr. Weeks, or ariy 
one else account for this? That it may not be supposed 
that this was an accidental circumstance with me, I will 
state my observations have extended to probably a thou¬ 
sand swarms, in all sorts of hives, the Vermont hive 
among the rest. W. R. P. 
Bowling Green, Wood co. O. Oct. 22, 1842. 
CULTURE OF COTTON. 
Messrs. Editors —In the Oct. No. of the Cultivator, 
I noticed in P. S. under the signature of N. B. Cloud, M. 
D., that if he was not greatly deceived in some experi¬ 
ments he was making, he would astonish some of your 
subscribers in the cotton region, toward the winding up 
of the present crop, in regard to an entire new and im¬ 
proved mode of culture, by which he proposes to curtail 
the expense of producing this great national staple to one- 
third its present enormity. 
I am one so credulous, that I am disposed to believe 
almost any thing that promises good, but still I cannot 
venture farther than to say I feebly hope he may succeed 
in all that he has said, and if he does, he will be the 
greatest benefactor of his race. 
The great Fulton failed to reduce the expense of trans¬ 
portation two-thirds, but the improvements of others ad¬ 
ded to his, fully accomplished that object; and if Dr. 
Cloud, aided by 100 co-workers, should succeed in reduc¬ 
ing the expense of raising cotton even one-third, his 
name, with the 100, should be enrolled among the great¬ 
est benefactors; but I will wait to see his promised ver¬ 
sion of the whole matter, hoping he will strengthen my 
feeble hope into confidence of his success. I must say 
that I am sorry he has promised so much, for I feel 
somewhat forestalled in a like undertaliing; an experi¬ 
ment that I have had on hand for 3 years, and yet it will 
take 2 years more before I can announce the full result 
of the experiment; yet so far as I have advanced, I will 
give the result. 
Two years since, I found in my crop, a stalk uncom¬ 
monly loaded with balls, and what is uncommon, the 
balls were something larger than common. I saved and 
planted it by itself. Only about half of the next crop 
was like the mother stalk. I again selected from the 
best stalks, which I planted last spring, showing it no 
special favor, either in cultivation or the land on which 
it was planted, excepting that I gave it about 3 feet dis¬ 
tance in the drill, which is nearly double the common 
distance, the drills being 4 feet apart,(common distance.) 
My motive for giving such distance, (although my land 
is quite common,) is that I knew distance is favorable to 
cotton bearing well; having in view for the present, 
the improvement of my cotton more than the quantity to 
be rais,ed off a small piece of land; but I was somewhat 
surpris’ed to find that my improved cotton yielded 1,403 
lbs. per acre, against 1,040 lbs. per acre of seed cotton, 
from the balance of my crop. I have again selected from 
the best stalks to carry forward the improvement, and I 
propose to give you an annual account of my progress, 
provided I am not eclipsed by some more brilliant results. 
If I find that 3 feet in the drill is the best distance in 
common land, it will be about one-tenth easier to culti¬ 
vate; and as I find the balls to be one sixth larger than 
common, I think it can be saved one-tenth faster; and to 
facilitate saving of cotton in Mississippi, is almost as great 
an object as to increase the yield. 
The country is sickened with humbugs; and I am 
proud to see such spirits as N. B. Cloud, rise in aid to put 
them down. Down with them, and let the future be an 
age distinguished for generous emulation, and let him 
that can confer the greatest amount of benefit with the 
least pay, be counted worthy of all honor. 
The present crop of cotton, in this and the adjoin¬ 
ing states, as far as I have heard from, is undoubtedly 
better than common, and the forebodings about price ne¬ 
ver were so gloomy since my recollection, but even if it 
should fall one or two cents lower than its present low 
price, I do not think it will be any injury to the cotton 
planter that is out of debt; for a failure in the East India 
cotton will certainly follow, and then the cotton planter, 
with an improved system of economy, will reap his re¬ 
ward. Respectfully yours, 
Noxubee CO. Miss. New. 21,1842. M. T. M’Gehee. 
IRISH AND “SCRUB” CATTLE. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —Commentator may feel 
perfectly at ease. He has not incurred my wrath, but I did 
not expect censure from him until he had sufficient grounds 
for it. At all events, it was little but declamation, with¬ 
out amounting to much. I yield to nothing but proof. 
I said Mr. Randall might breed from the “scrub stock,’’ 
or common breed of the country, without success, and I tru¬ 
ly believe it. I may be wrong, but this is my opinion if 
he confines himself to the “common,” which I say are 
the commonest breed of Irish cattle, called Middle Horns, 
although they possess larger paunches, more ragged hips 
and chines, than the Irish breed of cattle generally do, 
which I think is a very serious evU. But this I attribute 
to careless breeding and treatment. 
I have seen droves out of number, brought into Liver¬ 
pool,where the neighboring third class graziers and job¬ 
bers meet them, select the best handlers, and leave the in¬ 
ferior ones to travel farther, to be sold at a much cheap¬ 
er rate. They are driven from fair to fair with a heavy 
tax on the drover’s purse and patience, until he meets 
with a “ green?’ grazier or jobber to release him, and the 
fag end are sold at a very low price, without rtmch pro¬ 
fit the seller or purchaser. 
There are evidently two breeds, the Long Horns and 
Middle Horns. Tradition tells us the former are the ori¬ 
gin of the English Long Horns, and I have no reason to 
dispute it; they are far better grazers than the middle 
horns, but not as good milkers, and so they have proved 
in this country as regards quantity. 
Reason seems to tell me that the earliest settlers could 
procure this breed, at the seaport towns, at the least ex¬ 
pense and trouble, without reference to the best of the drove, 
and at that day the superiority of breed was but little 
thought of. This is the kind of cattle I call “ scrub stock, 
common, or native.” I do not class a mixture of the 
Hereford, Short Horn, Devon, Ayrshires, &c. with this 
stock. A cross with the short horns, would be the iden¬ 
tical cattle Mr. Randall would breed, according to his own 
doctrine, and if he still grounds his faith on “ Youatt,” he 
will find that this breed has been crossed with the short 
horns “without success.” 
I again refer Messrs. Randall and Commentator, to their 
favorite author, for the early improvement of the Long 
Horns, or “ Mr. Bakewell’s breed,” which I should have 
dwelt upon at some length, had not the able communi¬ 
cation from Mr. Howard superceded me, and to which I 
will add another quotation from “ Youatt,” but I do not 
quote it as gospel. “In the districts where the experi¬ 
ments (on the Long Horns,) were carried on, it estab¬ 
lished a breed of cattle, equaled by few, and excelled by 
none but the Herefords.” You will find this, page 197. 
Hereford Hall, near Albany. W. H. Sotham. 
THE WILD TURKEY. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —In your replies to an 
“ Enquirer,” in relation to Poultry, in a late Cultiva¬ 
tor, you say, We are not aware that the Wild Turkey 
has ever been crossed with the domestic one, or that a 
successful attempt has been made to domesticate them. 
Such attempts appear to be scorned equally by the Wild 
Turkey and the Partridge.” 
I am sure you will excuse me for reminding you that 
the wild turkey and the domestic turkey, are identically 
the same animal, the habits of the bird alone having been 
modified by domestication. Very few people know that 
this is peculiarly an American bird; that the wild turkey 
was caught in our forests, and carried to Europe in 1610, 
I believe, and thence sprung the whole brood of domes¬ 
tic turkeys of Europe; and that was at least one instance 
of a successful attempt to domesticate it. As to crossing, 
Mr. Audubon, in his splendid work, the “ Birds of Ame¬ 
rica,” says, “ Wild Turkeys often approach and associ¬ 
ate with tame ones, or fight with them and drive them 
off from their food. The cocks sometimes pay their ad¬ 
dresses to the domesticated females, and are generally re¬ 
ceived by them with great pleasure, as well as by their 
owners, who are well aware of the advantages resulting 
from such intrusions, the half breed being much more har¬ 
dy than the tame, and consequently more easily reared.” 
When a wild turkey has been kept three or four years, 
it often changes color more or less, white feathers ap¬ 
pear, &c. The effects of domesticating this bird, are a 
variety of color, and more delicacy of constitution. The 
domestic turkey has often been known to stray off, and 
assume all the habits of the wild one, and in the course 
of two or three generations their color even assumes the 
fixed characters of the wild bird. So far as known, 
there are no varieties of the turkey; color being the on¬ 
ly difference between any of theni. It is said to require 
several generations'to fix the habits of the^ bird by do¬ 
mestication, and these habits he is always liable to lose. 
Your readers, I am sure, would be much pleased with 
an opportunity to read the chapter on this most valuable 
of birds, contained in Mr. Audubon’s admirable work 
above referred to. 
BERMUDA GRASS. 
Editors of the Cultivator— In your August No. 
inquiry is made, by a correspondent in Georgia, how to 
destroy Bermuda grass. The succeeding number not 
containing an answer, and if none other be received for 
your next number, the following mode may be suggest¬ 
ed as having been successful in Alabama-.—Begin m the 
spring, at the first appearance of green leaves, or at ala- 
