A CONSOLIDATION OF BUEL'S CULTIVATOR AND THE GENESEE FARMER. 
Cult. Vol. X.—No. 5. ALBANY. N. Y., MAY, 1843. Cult. & Fab^Vol. IV.— No. 5. 
PUBLISHED MONTHLY. 
GAYLORD & TUCKER, EDITORS. 
LUTHER TUCKER, PROPRIETOR. 
Office, No. 20 Market-street, Albany. 
One Dollar per annum—She Copies for $5. 
(PAYABLE ALWAYS IN ADVANCE.) 
20 per cent commission on 2S or more subscribers, and 
26 per cent commission on 100 or more. 
Subscriptions to commence with a volume ; and the money 
to be sent free of postage. 
THE BACK VOLUMES OF THE CULTIVATOR, 
Handsomely stitched in printed covers, 
Can be furnished to new subscribers—Vols. 1. 11. III. IV. at 60 
cents each, and Vols. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. at $1. each. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
“TO IMPROVE THE SOIL AND THE MIND.” 
MONTHLY NOTICES. 
Communications have been received during the past 
month, from Richmond, T. C. Peters, Geo. Hezlip, San¬ 
ford Howard, Za. Drummond, S. W. Bartlett, D. Bidwell, 
D. G. Weems, Agricola, Agricuitor, Edwin Booth, Adol¬ 
phus, Wm. Partridge, A., A Farmer's Boy, James T. 
Earle, T. McCarty, Gleaner, Solon Robinson, The Neigh¬ 
bors, Henry Watson, G. M. Haywood & Co., Observer, 
(shall have a place in season for next year, and we shall 
be glad to hear from him on the other subjects to which 
he alludes,) Geo. Bommer, D. Smith, T*******, A. Mc¬ 
Donald, Wm. C. Rogers, A Subscriber, L. Durand, Jas. 
T. Norton, A. & G. Brentnall, p****^ A. Subscriber, H. 
S—d, B. J. Goldsborough, James Whittem, John J. 
McCaughan. 
Acknowledgments. —^We are indebted to Rev. Mr. 
CoLMAN, for a copy of the “ Essex Ag. Society’s Tran¬ 
sactions for 1842,”—a handsome octavo pamphlet of 136 
pages. It contains several papers of great value, some 
of which will hereafter be noticed at length. We are 
also indebted to Mr. Colnian for a copy of “ Smith’s Es¬ 
say on the Construction of Cottages,” which received the 
premium of the Highland and Ag. Society of Scotland. 
This work contains nine designs, with estimates, work¬ 
ing plans, &c. for workingmen’s cottages, one of which 
we may hereafter transfer to our pages. 
To Alfred Huger, Esq. Longwood, S. C. for a copy 
of “ A Day on Cooper River,” for extracts from which, 
on the culture of rice, see another part of this paper. 
To Parsons & Co. for their Catalogue of Fruit and 
Forest Trees, &c. cultivated and for sale at their Com¬ 
mercial Garden and Nursery, Flushing. 
To Wm. McKinster, Middletown,Conn, for Hon. E. 
Jackson’s Address before the Middlesex Co. Ag. Society 
in Oct. last, together with the Constitution and By-Laws 
of said Society. 
To the Editors of the London New farmer’s Journal, 
for the files of that paper for March; and to P. L. Sim- 
MONDS, Esq. London, for the Dublin Farmer's Gazette, 
Edinburgh Weekly Journal, &e. 
Sl^»lN the midst of the general falling off of our sub¬ 
scriptions, on account of the “hard times,” the extra ex¬ 
ertions of our friends at Fort Gaines, Geo., deserve our 
especial thanks. They have already sent us the cash for 
about fifty vols., and give us the assurance that they will 
add another fifty at least, during the season. 
The Cultivator among the Indians_ We have 
seldom received an order for the Cultivator, which has 
gratified us as much as one from the Superintendent of 
the Dwight Mission among the Cherokees. We last year 
sent them six copies. This year eighteen copies have 
been ordered, for subscribers among the Cherokee farm¬ 
ers. The agent says :—“ We have some very enterpris¬ 
ing farmers among the Cherokees. You would be highly 
gratified to see some of their fields, containing from 50 
to 150 acres, enclosed with a good fence, covered with 
corn, wheat, oats, and potatoes, and other vegetables, 
producing an abundance of the necessaries of life.” 
Scythe Stones. —Those who want a superior article 
of this kind, are referred to the advertisement of Mr. 
Bates in this paper. The stones from his establishment, 
have a high reputation, and are doubtless of a superior 
quality.* 
^ We have sent the letter of T. M’Cartnet, Esq. 
of Wellsburg, Va., to a friend.who we presume will fur¬ 
nish the information asked for. 
5 
State Fair. —It will be seen by the Prize list in ano¬ 
ther part of this paper, that the next Fair of the New- 
York State Ag. Society, is to be held at Rochester, on the 
19th, 20th and 21st days of September next. 
The Ladies _“Gleaner” gives a hearty welcome to 
our lady correspondents. He says:—“ I see the ladies 
are coming out, and I am rejoiced to see it, for we need 
something to arouse the females of our land to their duty. 
The picture drawn by your correspondent Sarah, is no 
fancy sketch; and this accounts for the numbers who live 
and die in single blessedness, rather than drag out such a 
life as represented by Sarah. I say then, ladies, go on. 
and rest not till our farmer’s wives are what they should 
be. The power is in your hands, and you can use it to 
advantage.” Another correspondent, Mr. Levi Durand, 
greets our female correspondents as follows:—“ Mrs. 
Howard’s plan and description of a ‘ Farm House,’ I 
think is very good, and well calculated to suit a farmer 
who would like to have a convenient house to live in. 
The letter of a farmer’s wife, Sarah, is capital. It 
comes right to the point, and is just what we want at the 
present time. I hope that she and Mrs. Howard, and oth¬ 
er of your lady readers, will give us from time to time, 
their ideas on domestic economy.” 
Preservation of Apples. —We last week received 
from Tyler Fountain, Esq. of Peekskill, a dozen fall 
pippins, which had been so well preserved through the 
winter, that they were as sound and juicy as in Novem¬ 
ber. They were preserved by packing them in barrels 
with plaster of Paris. The plaster should be sifted, that 
it may settle down so closely as entirely to fill the spa¬ 
ces between the apples, and thus exclude the air. 
Chamber’s Edinburgh Journal. —It will be seen 
by an advertisement in this paper, that this highly popu¬ 
lar and most valuable work is about to be republished in 
New-York, and at the low price of $1,50. 
Threshing Machines. —Inventors of these machines 
are referred to the letter of Mr. Whittem, in this paper. 
Domestic Silk. —We were shown recently, a piece 
of gro de nap silk, of 36 yards, nearly a yard wide, manu¬ 
factured at the Auburn prison, for Mrs. Darius Carter 
of East Bloomfield, from cocoons raised by her the past 
season. Though not as highly finished as the foreign 
silk, it was a far more substantial fabric, and weighed 
nearly twice as much as the foreign article. In a letter 
accompanying the silk, Mr. Polhemus, the agent of the 
prison, says—‘‘ We have sent it just as it came out of 
the loom. It has not quite as much lustre as we could 
wish, but it will do as much service, we venture to say, 
as any piece of silk that can be found in the United 
States.” Mrs. Carter deserves great credit for her per¬ 
severance in raising cocoons. In 1841, she raised a quan¬ 
tity of cocoons, reeled and prepared the silk for weaving, 
but was unable to fulfil her intention of having it wove 
and made into a dress to be exhibited at the State Fair at 
Syracuse, for want of the necessary facilities for weav¬ 
ing. She however, presented the silk at the Fair, and 
received the Society’s first premium of $20. Now that 
the difficulty of getting the cocoons manufactured, is re¬ 
moved by the introduction of this branch of business into 
the Auburn prison, we doubt not the time wilt soon come 
when it will be the boast of many of our fair readers, 
that they can dress in silks which their own hands have 
reared. 
Dairy Cows.— “A Subscriber,” of Red Hook, after 
alluding to the statement in our last paper, of the amount 
of butter made weekly by Mr. Sotham, from ten Here¬ 
ford cows, says:—“ I am making 30 lbs. of butter per 
week from four cows of the native breed, but two of 
which are believed to be first rate. The two considered 
the most inferior, I purchased about 18 months since, one 
for $13, and the other for $16.” In another part of this 
paper, will be found a statement of the products of two 
dairies—one of 25 cows in Ohio, and the other of 12, in 
Connecticut, to which we refer such of our readers as are 
interested in this branch of husbandry. It will be seen 
that in one case, the average product in butter and cheese, 
from 25 cows, was 561 lbs.—in the other, the average 
from 12 cows was 533-| lbs. Nothing can show more 
forcibly than these statements, the loss the farmer sus¬ 
tains by keeping poor cows, or half feeding good ones. 
The Season in Indiana. —Extract of a letter from H. 
Weston, Esq. to the Cultivator, dated April 1 :—“ Cattle 
are dying by scores through the country, for want of fo¬ 
rage. From the length and severity of the winter, our 
cattle have consumed from four to six times the ordinary 
quantity of food; and although winter commenced a full 
month earlier than usual, (Nov. 9,) it continues a month 
later. For the last week it has not been as rigorous as 
heretofore, but I yesterday hauled hay on my sled, driv¬ 
ing three or four miles upon the river, (Iroquois,) which 
in many places is frozen solid to the bottom. Last year 
in favorable situations, prairie grass was 18 inches high, 
15th of March, and we had spinnage and spring flowers. 
Great fears are entertained that our wheat is killed.” 
The Weather in S. C.—Extract of a leiler from W. 
S. Gibbes, Esq., Chestnut Grove, S. C., to the Cultivator, 
dated April 4:—“ We have had the most extraordinary 
March ever known in this part of the world. We have 
had hail, sleet, and three snow storms, two of them heavy 
and deep, within the month; the last of them on the 2 l 8 t. 
For three weeks the thermometer was scarcely ever 
above the freezing point at sunrise, and was within that 
time as low as 22 *^, 26, and repeatedly 28°; and between 
the wet and cold, I have been able to do only six whole 
and two half days of plowing in the whole month of 
March.” 
Ruta Bagas in S. Carolina—A letter from Alfred 
Huger, Esq. Longwood, St. Thomas Parish, S. C.,to the 
editors of “ The Cultivator,” says—“I have raised the 
ruta baga, weighing ten pounds without the leaves or 
tops, taken promiscuously from the patch; and I have a 
friend near me, who has had them weigh fourteen pounds. 
The same land would have produced 300 bushels sweet 
potatoes to the acre.” 
National Ag. Society. —A correspondent wishes to 
know when the next meeting of this Society is to be held? 
The constitution leaves it to the Board of Control to fix 
the time. We have seen no notice for a meeting this 
season. 
American Thorn. —Mr. S. Parsons, Hoosick, quotes 
from Mr. Downing’s Cottage Residences, a recommen¬ 
dation of the American thorn for ornamental hedges, in 
which Mr. D. says that “ a farmer may gather the seeds 
and raise them himself,” and requests us to ask Mr. D. to 
inform us “ how the American thorn can be propagated 
from the seed,” as he does not believe it can be done— 
at least, we infer this from his letter. 
Portable Saw Mills —In answer to the inquiry of 
Mr. McM.vrtin of Hogansburgh, and Mr. Cunningham 
of Kentucky, we state that these mills are only manufac¬ 
tured by the patentee, Mr. Geo. Page of Baltimore, Md., 
of whom alone they can be procured. The price of the 
portable saw mill, with 12 feet carriage, and 24 feet 
ways, and 4 feet saw, is $300. Extra saws for shingles, 
with three pair of head blocks, .$125. 
§(^In answer to several inquiries for Dr. Cloud’s ad¬ 
dress, we give it as follows:—“ Dr. N. B. Cloud, P. M. 
Planter’s Retreat, Russell co., Alabama.” 
Prep.vr.vtion of Ground and Seed for Planting 
Corn _A correspondent of Claverack, under the signa¬ 
ture of “Gleaner,” gives the following directions:— 
“ Harrow your ground well before you furrow it, and 
plant nothing but good seed. If you would prevent crows 
from pulling it up, tar it; first soak your seed till it is 
swelled, say from 24 to 48 hours; Ihen fake a tub, (I 
take a barrel and saw it in two, which makes very handy 
ones,) and put your corn in; fake a keltle, put a quart of 
water in it, heat it till hot; then stir in your tar, (a pint 
is enough for a bushel,) till it is meUed; pour it on your 
corn, and mix it well; it will look as if it had a coat of 
varnish; dry it with plaster, and it is ready. I have done 
this for some years, and have no trouble with crows; but 
formerly I could not keep them away.” 
Lard Oil —It appears from a statement which we 
find in the Cincinnati Gazette, that 116,944 gallons of 
lard oil have been made in that city during the past year. 
The Gazette says—“ The quantity of Star and Stearine 
candles cannot be ascertained with certainty, but it is 
considerable. Lard oil is now worth, for first quality, 
62J cts; second quality, 45 cts; stearine candles, 1st qua¬ 
lity, 25 cts; second quality 124 cts. The consumption of 
this article is very rapidly increasing.” 
Obituary —Gen. .Iohn Armstrong, au'hor of the 
“ Treatise on Agriculture,” noticed in our last number, 
died at his residence in Red Hook, on the 1st of April 
last, in the 84th year of his age. 
Oil Cake. —In answer to the inquiry of J. T. Earle, 
F.sq., we state that oil cake, ground and put up in bar¬ 
rels for transportation, can be had in this city, at from 
$15 to $18 per ton. Its transportation from here to New- 
York, will cost about $1,50 per ton. The cost from 
thence to Baltimore, may be ascertained in that city. 
A New Potatoe.— “ Mons. A. Husson, of this city,” 
says the New-Haven Farmer’s Gazette, “ has a beautiful 
variety of the Potatoe, called the Duck Bill, which he 
brought from France, and thinks may be cultivated here 
to advantage. He represents them as being great bear¬ 
ers—having last year obtained from one bushel of seed, 
31 bushels. From one hill, where but one potatoe was 
planted, he dug ninety-nine. We had a sample of these 
potatoes last fall, and they proved to be a rich variety.” 
