108 
THE CULTIVATOR 
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. 
In Europe, as in this country, there is a constant im- 
provemeni in the character of the periodicals devoted to 
the interests of Ag-ricuUure, as regards both i.s science 
and practice. la perusing the valuable papers which ap¬ 
pear in the Journal of the Royal Ag. Society, Qr. Journal 
of Agriculture, Farmer s Mag., New Farmer s Journal, 
&c., we feel a deep regret that we cannot invite our 
readers to the same rich banquet, and we have been often 
lemptetl to commence a Journal of Foreign Agriculture, 
which should embrace the most important papers of the 
foreign m igazines. We cannot but think, .that a work of 
this kind, with a capable conductor, would meet with 
ample support. From our late files of foreign papers we 
have compiled the following items: 
Mr. CoLMAN—At a special meeting of the Council of 
the Royal Agricultural Society on the 11th of May, Mr, 
Coi.MAN Was present, and took his seat as an honorary 
member. At a subsequent meeting Mr. Colman address- 
eil the meeting, thanking them for having made him an 
honorary member of the Society. He also presented the 
Society copies of Prof. Hitchcock'.s Geology of Massa-- 
chnseti.s—three of his Reports on the Agriculture of Mas¬ 
sachusetts—Mr. Ellsworth’s Report to Congress last win¬ 
ter—the annual report of the Monroe Ag. Society; and 
on behalf of Dr. Mease of Philadelphia, the last vol. of 
the Memoirs of the Phil. Ag. Society, for which the So¬ 
ciety voted him “their best thanks.” 
Abortion.— .Vn ins'ance similar to the one meniioned 
in our last, as having occurred in the herd of Mr. Pren¬ 
tice at Mount Hope, is mentioned in the Dublin Farm¬ 
er s Gazette. A corres[)ondent states that he “ has a valu¬ 
able stock of ten milch cows; that four of them calved 
safely, bat within the last six weeks five have in close 
succession slipped their calves, and the remaining one 
has every appearance of doing so.” In answer to the 
call for information as to the best means of preventing a 
recurrence of this calamity, the editor of the Gazette 
says : “ A case similar to the above appeared in this jour¬ 
nal a short lime since, which we hoped would have at- 
trac etl the attention of some person capable of giving a 
reas inuble cause for so distressing a calamity, and of re- 
comme iding some means of preventing its recurrence, 
but hitherto we are sorry to say it has failed to do so.” 
Roy\l Ag. Society of England. —This Society has 
now 7,270 members, of which 101 are denominated life 
governors, who pay $2.50 each—206 annual governors, 
who pay $25 annually—399 life members who pay $.'i0 
each—6,551 annual members, who pay $5 per annum. 
I s receipts in the three years of its existence, have so 
far exceeded its expenses that the Society has invested 
about $35,000, the interest of which now forms a part of 
its permanent income. The Fair of this Society, for this 
year, is to be held at Derby,eomnjeneing on the 11th of 
this month. 
M.vndues.— A.t the present time there is no subject at¬ 
tracting, deservedly too, more attention than that of the 
preparation anil increase of m mures. A large portion 
the articles in the May No. of the Farmer's Magazine, 
are devoted to this subject. It is stated that one ton of 
straw will make three tons of manure, and that a cow 
will produce about nine tons of solid manure in the course 
of the year. In an experiment by Mr. Barton in Staf¬ 
ford, in the culture of wheat, the increase in the value 
of tlie iiroduct of an acre, over that of an acre without 
any mariuie, was as follows: 
I f cw’. of guano per acre,. $15,32 
cvvt. guano and nitrate of soda, in equal 
parts,... 11.84 
1;} cwt. nitrate of soda,. 7.13 
4 tons caustic lime,. 9.49 
Lime and salt, mixed,. none. 
In several experiments made in Scotland, in raising 
tnrneps, the guano apjieared to equal advantage in com¬ 
parison with dung and with bone dust, the Latter being 
the best fertilizer heretofore used for turneps. 
Salt and Lime for Grass Lands.— A correspon¬ 
dent of the Mark Lane Express, says that he has “ found 
o-reat benefit from sowing two bushels of lime mixed 
with one of salt, at the rate of twelve bushels per acre. If 
more is sown it has a bad effect; in fact, it would destroy 
rather than improve the quality of the herbage. I have 
always found my given quantity very effectual in enrich¬ 
ing as well as increasing the quantity.” 
Bone Dust.— Great quantities of bones are every j^ear 
shipped from this country to England, to be ground and 
used as manure, principally for the turnep crop, for 
which bone dust is found to be the best of all manures. 
We see it stated that the sum of $60,000 has been paid in 
a year, by the single district of Strathmore, for bone dust. 
It’is used on dry or calcareous soils, and is considered in¬ 
efficacious on heavy clay soils. 
Ch.arcoal. —'.A correspondent of the Wew Farmer's 
Journal, states that during a sojourn in one of the central 
departments of Fran ’e,he learned that one of the most pro¬ 
ductive farms in the neighborhood was originally very ste¬ 
rile; but the proprietor having some years before given it 
a lightdressing of charcoal,from that time it yielded crops 
exceedingly fine both in quality and quantity. On his 
return to England, he determined to tiy the experiment 
his own lands, and the result proved highly satisfac¬ 
tory. He says:—“After various experiments I ascer¬ 
tained that before applying the charcoal it should be 
cresheil, when it may be spread over the land like lime, 
I)Ut a-s soon as possible afterwards it should be well moist¬ 
ened with soft water, by means of a watering cart. The 
ffl.xpeaa® jier acre, is a mere trifle, in comparison with 
the permanent improvement effected, which on grass 
land is truly wonderful. But this is not all. I am quite 
satisfied that by using charcoal in the way described, 
rust in the wheat crop will be efftctually prevented; for I 
have found that in two adjoining fields, one of which was 
‘ coaled,’ and the other manured with farm-yard dung, 
the wheat in the latter was greatly injured by rust, whilst 
that growing in the other was perfectly free from it.” 
Exferime.nt tried on three years old pasture in Scot¬ 
land, by Wilson, of Aucheniden, furnished to the Philo¬ 
sophical Society of Glasgow. Two hundred perches 
were divided into :en lots, of twenty perches each, and 
treated as follows, yielded the following produce: 
Lot 1—Left untouched, ... 420 lbs. 
2— 24 bhls. of Irish quick lime,.602 
3— 4 cwt. lime from Lias works, .... 651 
4— —4^ cwt. wood charcoal powder, .. 665 
5— 2 bushels bone dust,. 693 
6— 18 lbs. nitrate potash. 742 
7— ^20 lbs. nitrate soda,. 784 
8— 12i bolls soot, (equal to 4 bush.) . 819 
9— ^28 lbs. sulphate ammonia,. 874 
10—100 gal. ammonia liquor, from Li¬ 
as works, at 5 deg. Tweddle,... 945 
The value of the applications was 5s. for each lot, or at 
the rate of 21. per Scotch acre. All the articles were 
applied on the 16th of April, 1841. The grass cut and 
made into hay in the following July. 
Guano.—A t a meeting of the Royal Ag. Society, on 
the lOih of May, Mr. Davenport communicated the fol¬ 
lowing results of trials made the last year, with guano, 
on his farm; 
“ On Meadow .—One acre sown with 3 cwt. of guano 
and 3 cwt. of gypsum: crops when ready to stack, 2 tons 
18 cwt. 
“ One acre sown with 2 cwt. of guano and 2 cwt. of 
gypsum: 2 tons, 8 cwt. 
“ One acre sown with 2 cwt. of guano only: 2 tons. 
“ Turneps. —One acre of turneps, 4 cwt. of guano, and 
4 cwt. of gypsum: 30 tons produce, 
“ One acre of turneps, 2 cwt. of guano and 2 cwt. of 
gy|sum: 27 tons. 
“ The difference between an unmanured acre, and one 
manured with 3 cwt. of guano and the same quantisy of 
gypsum, was 27 cwt. of hay additional. 
“ The guano was of the best kind, which now sells at 
iOL the ton. Its effecis on green-house plants, when 
sulRciently diluted, is great, but it is easy to do mischief 
by excess. Water is the best vehicle. When sown, it 
should be in showery weather. Altogether, it appears 
to be the cheapest manure known, and strong soils suit 
it best.” 
American Flour and Pork.—A fter the passage nf 
the late Corn Laws, by which provisions from the Uni¬ 
ted Slates were admitted into Great Britain at such a du:y 
as to admit of their shipment to a limited extent, it be¬ 
came very fashionable for the sticklers for the corn laws 
in England, to denounce them as unfit food for honest 
John Bull, and especially was our pork,—which was 
said to be fattened upon sheep which died for want of 
ruta bagas. which could not be raised here,—looked up¬ 
on with abhorrence. Now, however, when it is feared 
that amendments will be made to the corn laws, still more 
favorable to the introduction of American produce, the 
tune is changed, and all at once our flour and pork be¬ 
come the best in the world. At a corn law meeting at 
Chelmsford, one speaker pronounces our wheat a very 
superior article—so hard and fine that it may be shipped 
to any part of the world, and kept a twelve month with¬ 
out danger of sweating. Mr. Grove said, ‘‘ the quality 
of American flour was so superior to our own, that it 
would take as much more water, and the duty being Is. 
only, would make the sack of flour at a premium.” Mr. 
Du Croz said, “ the American pork is the best in the 
world; it is principally fatted on maize, and at certain 
periods of the year nothing can be finer.” 
Soiling.—T he practice of soiling is recommended by 
the Rugely Farmer’s Club, 1st, for the extra quantity of 
manure that can be made: 2d, the saving of food. These 
they consiiler are equivalent to the expense. The Wir- 
ril Farmer s Club adopted the following resolution;— 
“ That it is the opinion of this meeting that the best 
method of feeding farm horses and other cattle upon the 
green produre of the farm, is by mowing and feeding in 
the yards, commonly termed soiling, and at the com¬ 
mencement of the season to cut it with a portion of hay 
into chaff. And for horses, lucerne is strongly recom¬ 
mended for its substantial quality, and as yielding early 
and successive crops, and being exceedingly healthy and 
nutritious food.” 
Horse Carts.—“ I should add,” says Mr. P., “that 
on these 1500 acres no wagon is used. The harvest is 
brought home, and the manure carried out upon single 
horse carts; nor in this respect is there any departure 
from the practice of the neighborhood, for I find that in 
Bedfordshire, and part of Herefordshire, the farmers use 
nothing else.” 
The Turner Fly.—A ‘ Tanner’ in the London Far¬ 
mers’ Magazine, describes the manner in which he ex¬ 
terminated the fly, on a patch of turneps in his garden. 
The seed came up well, but was attacked by myriads of 
the fly, and when noticed by him, half the plants were 
destroyed. He immediately applied for a remedy some 
stale liquid from the lime pit in his tanner’s yard. The 
application was effectual, and the next day scarcely a fly 
was to be seen, and not one on the plants vis ted by the 
contents of the water-pot. He was apprehensive at first 
that the effect of the liquor might be fatal to his plants. 
but a rain washed off this sprinkling of lime and animal 
matter in combination, and the plants instead of suffering 
grew with rank luxuriance. He was induced to apply 
this liquid from having observed that however stale and 
fetid, animal life could not exist in it. All farmers who 
are troubled with insects on their vegetables may not have 
access to a tanner's lime vat, but he may prepare a vat 
with a few bushels of lime and water, or still better the 
wash of his yards, and into this let all refuse animal 
matter he may have about the farm, dead lambs, pigs, 
fowls, sheep, or all carrion, be cast, or the entrails of 
what ate killed for use, and he will soon ha\e a prepa¬ 
ration equal in efficiency as a preventive of insects, or as 
a manure, to the tanner's liquid. This is a matter which 
should arrest the attention of all faimers, as by it nui¬ 
sances are converted into useful matters, and ihe farm 
kept free from their existence. 
Turner Fly.— I liave found that lime lightly strewed 
over turneps (just up,) before the dew is off the ground 
in the morning, most effectually and invariably preserves 
the crop from the fly, &c.— Cor. of New Farm. Journal. 
Winter Feed of Cows in Fi.ander.s. —The cows 
are principally fed on roots, such as carrots, turneps anil 
potatoes. These are chopped up together in a tub, and 
some bean meal, rye meal, or buckwheat meal is adiled; 
boiling vi’ater is poured over this anil allowed to cool, or 
the whole is boiled together in a copper, when fuel is 
not too scarce. Of this mixture, called brassin, two pail¬ 
fuls are given milk warm, morning and evening, to each 
covv; anil this, With a little wheat or barley straw, is 
their only food during the whole \v inter. 
Irish Ag. Societies. —Following the example of 
England, a National Ag. Society was formed in Iieland 
in 1841, since which no less than 83 auxirary ordistr ct 
Societies have been organiied, all of vvh eh appear to be 
in a prosperous condition, and exerting a highly salutary 
influence on the agricultural interest of that country. 
The Rattlesnake _At the monthly meeting of Ihe 
Highland anil Ag. Society for May, Professor Traill re¬ 
ferred to the singular jvroper y aiiribtiied to the while 
ash, of driving away ratilesnakes. In an exjiertnient 
made to test the reality of this alleged proper y. it was 
found that when a branch of some other tree was pre¬ 
sented to a rattlesnake, it merely had the effect of irrita¬ 
ting the reptile, and causing it to dart forward as if to 
resent the annoyance; but no sooner was a brancli of ihe 
white ash,thrust against it, than it showed symptoms of 
the greatest uneasiness, made an effort to escape, ami 
seemed paralyzed in all its motions. This was repea eil 
so often as to leave no tlonbl abont the remarkable effect 
of this tree on the rattlesnake. 
A New Chus.n. _^It having henn fonrui’oj- experiment, 
(.tiat me greatest quantity of the fines! qualiiy ®f buiier is 
obtained front cream at a mean temperatUTe of 16^ Fa- 
renheit, Mr. David Ritchie of Edinburgh, has made a 
churn which seems w'ell ealeulated to acccaiplish ihe ob¬ 
ject of keeping the temperature of the cream at Ihe de¬ 
sired point. It coiasists of one cylinder placed concen¬ 
tric within another, so that water, either cold or hot, as 
the case niaj^ require, may be put into the outer cylinder-. 
Feeding Poultry.— Prof. Gregory of Aberdeen, ob¬ 
serves, “As you keep poultry, 1 may tell you that it has 
been ascertained that if yo® mix with their food a suffi¬ 
cient quantity of egg shells or chalk, which they eaS: 
greedily they will lay, caUrvs pmibus, twice or thiice- 
as many eggs as before, A well feii fowl is disposed to 
lay a vast number of eggs, but cannot do so without the 
materials for the shells, however nousishing mo her re¬ 
spects her food may be; indeed, a fowl fevi on f©. d anti 
water, free from carbora'e oflime, and not finding any 
in the soil, or in the shape of mortar, which they ofteis- 
eat on the walls, would lay no eggs at all.” 
LAND IN SIGHT. 
We believe that there has not been a trrae-, since the 
o-eneral tumble down of prices, and ilie eonseqasat agri¬ 
cultural distress, when the prospect of relief was so fair 
as at present. Farmers have been gradually, bat cer¬ 
tainly, surmounting their d fficulties, and already they be- 
"■in to breaihe more freely. Driven to retrenclsment 
and economy, what at first seemed an evil, is foundi 10 . 
have been a positive good to all classes of society; anil 
if the severe lessons Ihe cominuniiy have been taaght 
have their proper effect, vve shall find many’ days 
prosperity are yet before us. Deb s heedlessly con¬ 
tracted, and without any rational expedations ot meet¬ 
ing them, were the great cause of our personal or indi¬ 
vidual difficulties. The farmer hag been slowly working 
his way out of these; and now better prices for his pro¬ 
duce is coming to his aid, to complete >6® » 
would not iniimate that Ihe prices of 1837 are to be 
expected. They ought not to be desired, as they are 
inconsistent with a healthy ami safe condition of things; 
but every thing- indicates a gradual restoration of conli- 
dence, and prices that will be remunerating. We now 
as a nation sell more than we buy; our inannfaetories 
are oett'no" into successful operation; new markets are 
openim- for our agricultural products; specie instead of 
o-ewiraws is flowing in upon us; money is becoming 
nlenty for those who have any’ thing to purchase Jt with ; 
and there is a general feeling that the “dark ilay” is at 
last passed. We have only to avoid the errors of the 
past- to see our way clear before us; and as a nation or 
L individuals to purchase nothing we do not need, and 
pay down for what w'e do purchase, and vve may reason- 
ably hope, that if we do not become rich, we shall not 
be obliged to incur the disgrace of repudiation. 
