THE CULTIVATOR. 
65 
AN 
IMPROVED 
VATOR. 
CULTI- 
Messrs. Editors —My 
object at this time, is to give 
you and your readers, a ge¬ 
neral idea of a cultivator 
which I had made last sum¬ 
mer. So far as it was tried, 
it worked well. Farmers 
who examined it, pronounc¬ 
ed the plan a good one, and 
our Agricultural Society ho- 
ored it with a premium last 
fall. 
The teeth are three, of 
cast iron, the forward one 
something like a double 
mold-board plow, and cut¬ 
ting 12 inches; the back 
teeth like ordinary plows, 
one turning the earth to the 
right, the other to the left, 
each cutting 8 inches. They 
are shaped rather flat, so as 
not to make much of a fur¬ 
row. The frame is so con¬ 
structed as to allow a space 
to be worked of any width 
from 18 to 36 inches. It is 
triangular, and when con¬ 
tracted is two feet wide. To 
describe it minutely, would 
require a drawing and per¬ 
haps take up too much room. 
If any one should desire it, however, I will give a com¬ 
plete description of the whole implement. 
In dressing out the crop the first time, the side teeth 
are set so as to turn the soil fi’om the row. For the se¬ 
cond, they are usually changed, and throw to the row'. 
The advantages of this over the common cultivator, 
are, that it works the whole surface, and does it much 
more thoroughly, especially on rough land. Over the 
plow, it has the advantage of doing at once going through, 
what with the plow requires twice; and of leaving land 
more level, and I think, in better order every way. Not 
having seen Mr. Langdon's cultivator, I cannot compare 
the iwo. Still, I am of opinion that mine possesses two 
qualities which his does not; that of being easily adapt¬ 
ed to different widths, and that of throwing the soil either 
to or from the row. 
The idea occurs to me, that I may be exposing my ig¬ 
norance in claiming this as a new invention, and that 
possibly I may be encroaching on some patent. If the 
former should prove true, I have only to submit to the 
mortification I would feel, with the best grace I may; 
if the latter, I hope the party aggrieved will give me an 
opportunity to repair all damage, before subjecting me 
to any very severe penalty. Respectfully yours, 
Bathy Steuben co., Feb. 18, 1843. Geo. Edwards. 
CULTURE OF WHEAT. 
buttre. 
IMPROVED SHORT HORN COW « GAZELLE.”—(Fig. 32.) 
Owned by Maj. J. B. Dilb, Auburn. 
To “Gazelle,” was awarded the third premium for the best cow of any breed, at the Fair of the N. Y. S. Ag. 
Society, held at Albany, Sept. 1842. She was calved in 1838—sired by Charles, 1816—d. Crocus by Romulus, 
2563—g. d. Prize by Marlbro, 1189—g. g. d. Tulip by Regent, 516—g. g. g. d. (see Herd Book)—g. g. g. g- d. 
Primrose by North Star, 459 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker— The practical farmer 
should watch the operations of nature; his business leads 
him constantly to observe her works; he sees her eco¬ 
nomise all her means, and they are used with a view to 
certain results. It is the business of the good husband¬ 
man to make himself acquainted as much as he can with 
the laws which go-vern matter, so as to be able to aid na¬ 
ture in her operations, and by working knowingly and 
with his eyes open, benefit himself and his fellow men. 
To obtain this end, it is necessary for the farmer to work 
with his head, as well as with his hands; to lay hold of 
all the light placed within his reach, to economise labor, 
and endeavor to obtain the most he can from his outlay 
of time and money. It is true all agricultural products 
are greatly depressed in the market at this time; that 
there is but little inducement held out for exertion; yet 
what exertions he makes should be properly directed, 
and one of the best means of obtaining this end, is for 
each to gather up all the facts he can, and disseminate 
them by means of agricultural papers—those eyes to 
farmers. I have taken an agricultural paper for many 
years; although there are many things published I con¬ 
sider of little use, yet upon the whole I consider a good 
paper as indispensable, and I am astonished that all in¬ 
telligent farmers do not see it for their interest to take 
one or more. 
From the above and other considerations, I feel it my 
duty to add, if I can, to the general stock. I will there¬ 
fore give you some account of my practice and observa¬ 
tions. In the first place, it would be proper to remark, 
that a large part of the land in this town, is a good wheat 
soil; many of our ridges (for the surface is undulating,) 
appear to be formed, as far as they have been penetrated, 
of alternate strata of different kinds of soil, which after 
exposure to the sun and air become very productive. 
There is every kind of soil, from light sandy to stiff 
clay loam, and all the different varieties between these 
extremes, are found frequently in one field. The lar¬ 
ger proportion, however, inclines to a clay of different 
degrees of tenacity; some of the varieties of the latter 
are considered the strongest and most productive we have 
for wheat, producing the heaviest yields when properly 
managed; yet they are most liable to winter kill, and in 
consequence, to be injured by rust. To avoid these, I 
consider a body of vegetable matter, in the form of de¬ 
caying sward or straw manure, which has undergone 
but little fermentation, harrowed in with the seed, as 
indispensable on land which has been much worn. For 
wheat, I plow but twice, breaking up in Jime and July, 
as late as possible before haying, w'hich commences 
commonly in the fore part of July, cross plowing the 
latter part of the month of August and the fore part of 
September. Sowing is commonly done between the lOth 
and 25th of September. If sown earlier, the Hessian 
fly and a weed called shepherd sprout, is apt to injure it, 
the latter by overrunning it the next spring, if it obtains 
a fall growth. If sown later, it does not get growth suf¬ 
ficient to stand the winter. 40 miles west of here, how¬ 
ever, they prefer to sow in August. Land should lie, af¬ 
ter plowing before sowing, from 10 to 20 days. There 
are reasons for this, which I have not space here to enu¬ 
merate; suffice it to say experience has taught it. You 
will naturally ask, do you let weeds and grass grow uj) 
and flourish on your fallow? Certainly not. After breali- 
ing up, pass a roller lengthwise of the furrows, shutting 
all in, if properly plowed; a few days after, pass a heavy 
harrow the same way; when weeds and grass spring up, 
I have a large cultivator with wrought teeth, drawn by 
three horses, which is passed the same way the first time, 
once in a place; lapping one-half is sufficient; it stirs the 
ground, and it cuts up the weeds and grass better than 
I shall now enter on what 
I suppose is considered de¬ 
batable ground. I consider 
rust, in most cases, the ef¬ 
fect of winter inj’ing and re¬ 
tarding the growth of wheat. 
As I have not space to give 
you all my experience and 
observations bearing on this 
point, I v/ill merely state a 
few facts. The wheat plant 
is injured by freezing and 
thawing, and retarded in its 
growth; when it recovers 
from this, the season is ad¬ 
vanced ; if the land is strong, 
the plant starts with redou¬ 
bled vigor; fhe fields look to 
the unaccustomed eye, rich 
and promising; in fact, the 
straw is generally larger and 
ranker than that of early 
grain, which comes forward 
gradually and ripens slowly 
—this comes on rvith rapidi¬ 
ty,api)arent]y endeavoring to 
overtake the early grain, and 
ripen at the same time; a 
warm growing rain falls, 
which serves to ripen the 
early plant, but increases the 
circulating fluitls in the late 
plant to such an extent, that 
the sap vessels burst, and the 
- sap flows out, forming a 
black gummy substance on the outside, and the rents in 
the straw can be easily seen with the naked eye; depriv¬ 
ing the grain of its nourishment, it shrinks, and should be 
cut as soon as possible. Geo. L. Beckwith. 
West Henrietta, Mon. co. N. Y. Feb. 24, 1843. 
COMMENTS ON JAN. No. of the CULTIVATOR. 
the plow; the harrow would be of but little use; next j tripufjjjcr to elicit much 
time crossing, repeating this as often as necessary. I kill 
Canada thistles in this w'ay; if attended to well, few will \ leinpted to”sp~cak- 
appear next year, sometimes not any. A cultivator, such 
as I use, will pass over from 5 to 8 acres in a day; it 
cannot be used to advantage after a shower, or when the 
surface is wet, for it will clog up, as we call it, although 
the land may be in a condition to plow. If, after plow'- 
ing the last time, and before sowing, weeds and grass 
spring up which the harrow will not tear up and kill, 
the cultivator must be used on the furrow, before sow¬ 
ing, passing once in a place; the harrow will take all up 
after that. 
Having finished my volunteer labors in commenting 
on your paper for the past year, and that too, not only 
without any censure from your numerous corresj)ondents, 
but with some commendation from a portion of them, I 
am encouraged to pursue the same course for 1843; and 
here commence with your January number. But I must 
first renew the pledge given in the conclusion of my De¬ 
cember comments, to be constantly looking out for symp¬ 
toms of disapprobation,—a few of which would suffice to 
stop me, a,s nothing would mortify me much more than 
to be deemed cither officious or obtrusive. 
The Farmer's and Gardener's Club,-’ is an excellent 
scheme, well adapted to every town, village, and thickly 
poimlated neighborhood. For in such comparatively 
small and private associations, almost every member 
would be willing to take part in familiar discussions on 
agricultural and horticultural topics, each thereby con- 
useful information; whereas in 
large societies, very few of the members can ever be 
I W'ill now' endeavor to give you an account of my me¬ 
thod of preparing and applying straw manure. Wheat 
straw, stacked up carefully in the barn yard, affords a 
good shelter to stock in w'inter, and a large j)art of their 
living. I feed mine hay twice a day, but they do not 
need as much hay if they have good bright dry straw to 
go to. In this way, the straw is all worked down, and 
a heap of excellent manure is formed, with the drop¬ 
pings and urine, which is mostly collected here, particu¬ 
larly if the stack stands on a low part of the yard. This 
heap will but slightly ferment, if left untouched until 
wanted for use. A part of this is taken for spring 
crops, together with what collects in the remaining part 
of the yard, not occupied by straw, and tire stable ma¬ 
nure, and plowed in. After the ground is plowed for 
the last time, before sowing the wheat, a few loads of 
this manure, say from 5 to 8 per acre, are drawn and 
thrown in small heaps about the field on the furrow. 
When ready for sowing, these are spread evenly as pos¬ 
sible, and the harrow passed over lengthwise of the fur¬ 
rows, to smooth down for sowing; the straw may look 
as if it would clog the harrow, but it will not if the 
wheat was threshed with a machine, and I never use any 
other. I have used it dry from the stack without any in¬ 
convenience to the harrow, (a large square one, with 36 
teeth.) After sowing the wheat, it is harrowed in as 
usual. I have always put this manure on pieces most 
liable to be injured by freezing; it has always saved the 
wheat; in fact I have tried parts of fields where I had al¬ 
ways lost my wheat before, with the most perfect suc¬ 
cess; the straw would be perfectly bright, and the grain 
plump. The surface water must be drawn off by drain¬ 
ing, for if water stands onapiece of gxound, nothing will 
save the wheat. This can be done with a plow on most 
of our fields; even on land which descends fast, frequent 
furrows are necessary to conduct off the water rapidly. 
I have read your brief eulogium on Liebig, wdth great 
; pleasure, for lie justly deserves all you have said of him. 
I He certainly stands at the !iea<i, and that too, longo in- 
tervallo, of .all the chemists v/hose works have ever yet 
reached our country; althcugh like all other illustrious 
men, he has excited the envy of his inferiors, which has 
produced seveiul most pitiful attempts to injure his sci¬ 
entific fapie. 
The admirable character of IMr. Coke of Holksm, gi¬ 
ven by 3 'our correspondent Tweedside, furnishes an ex¬ 
cellent model for imitation; not that any American farm¬ 
er could ever expect to acquire such immense agricultu¬ 
ral wealth; but thousands upon thousands of us might 
tread in the footsteps of so noble an example, and pursue 
similar means of increasing and improving his properU'. 
In the ver)' w’ell written article headed “ Choice of a 
business for life,'” there is the following almost incredible 
statement:—“ Gen. Dearborn stated before the Massachu¬ 
setts legislature, tliat he had ascertained by reference to 
the books of the Custom House, the Banks, the Probate 
office, and the oldest merchants of Boston, that 97 out of 
every 100 engaged in trade, and in buydng and selling, 
failed, or died insolvent!” Would it not be of infinite 
service to our whole country, but especially to our agri¬ 
cultural brethren, if some credible person would make a 
similar calculation as to the doctors and lawyers in the 
United States; for it really seems to me as if fully three- 
fourths of all our youths were crowded by their thought¬ 
less pai-ents, into one or the other of these professions. 
How this monomania will end it is fearful to anticipate. 
Under the head “ Agriculture of Virginia,” the account 
Weaver-’s farming 
upon the wffiole, vc- 
given of Mr. 
rj' commendable. But the writer mentions one practice 
of his, which is sanctioned neither by theory or experi¬ 
ence. It is the cultivation of the same field “two suc¬ 
cessive years in wheat.” I have known several persons 
to try it, and I once did it myself; but in every instance, 
the second crop was vastly inferior to the first. 
The account given by Mr. C. N. Bernent, of Hussey’s 
& Baldwin’s Corn and Cob Crushers, is such as ought to 
induce every one W'ho feeds corn to stock, to buy and use 
one; since there can be no longer, eveff a shadow of 
doubt, as to the great economy of the practice. Yet, 
strange to say, there is probably not one farmer in a thou¬ 
sand, even among those who are thoi-oughly convinced 
of their great utility, who has ever bought either of them. 
