THE CULTIVATOR 
111 
DICTIONARY OF TERMS USED IN 
Slgricttlturc onii Us kinbreU ScUnces. 
MAGNESIA.—This is one of the earths having a me- 
talic base called magnesium. Magnesia is usually pro¬ 
cured for the purposes of commerce from the magnesian 
limestone, acted upon with the impure muriate of mag¬ 
nesia or the bittern of sea salt manufactories. Except 
in combination with limestone, it is of little use as an 
earth; but in some limestones of this country it consti¬ 
tutes 40 per cent of the whole, and consequently, where 
such stones are burned for agricultural purposes, it inust 
exercise a decided influence for good or evil. The re¬ 
sult of many experiments in England and in this country, 
would seem to prove that magnesia is injurious to vege¬ 
tation, and that the magnesian limestones are to be re¬ 
jected. At the same time it must be remarked, that the 
principal limestone used by the farmers of Pennsylvania 
and Delaware, are more strongly magnesian than any 
other known limestones in the United States, and no com¬ 
plaints have been made as to the effect. Epsom salts 
are the sulphate of magnesia, and are made by neutrali- 
aing diluted sulphuric acid with carbonate of magnesia. 
Baltimore is the great manufactory of this substance in 
the U. States. The magnesia is procured from the mag¬ 
nesian limestones of Pennsylvania, and from one and a 
half to two millions of lbs. of salts are made annually. 
M.AIZE.—A plant of the sugar cane family, yielding 
f th valuable articles for animal or human 
one 0 e . . {jjg name of Indian corn, more 
£aod knowb, thp’ United States, than any other 
extensively grov*b native of America, and was 
plant used for bread. p.ifjUnent was discovered, 
unknown m Europe until 1..-*^ , . wherever 
It has now gone the circuit %'its „«owth (and its 
She climate has been found suitable i'.. J’,, » „„„ 
range is very broad,) it has taken deep ■ ® 
Ihe most ks«M of plants. There are more . 
ffieties known, laostiof which are theresuL of fe o 
•crosses, not more than two or three kinds being cn 
at the settlement of the U, States. A new sanely has 
withiR a few years'been discovered in Texas>_®®® Tjni' 
aiel envelsiied in a hus'ki and 'has been gi’own ® " 
ied States in a few instances. Maize is a piant tli’*' 
■endure a greater degree of heat than a.ay oth.cr of 
•com.naon cultivated plants,and withoKt such heat to.'’ some 
sn'inlhs, will nist succeed. The hat dry sumssiers ot the 
United States are feand admirably adapted to this grain, 
over its whole extent, and the amowit anmtally pro- 
■duced is immense. A warm, deep, rich soil is required 
ffor tnar/ic;, anJ the-etop varies uaueh aecording to the 
?soll, moils of planting, amt oftisr o^«-Hix-.a,(ion. One hian— 
•dred bushels per acre, for several years, has noiuec^i 
mneomtson crop; and from 150 to 175 bushels jier acre. 
Slave been reached. Maize is uneqiaaled for the making 
■of trst rate porh; and when ground with the coband fed 
4o horses, is better than any other grain, oats perhaps 
lexecpted. If feil without the cob, it should be mixed 
with cut-straw or fcay, as alone tire degree of nutriment 
is disproporliop/ed to the bulk required to properly dis- 
ftend the stomaeh of the anmaL 
M.ANGE—This is an eruption of the skin, attended 
with seorfiness, pimples, the exmlation of a wateiy mat- 
of 
40 va- 
•ter, and if not checked, the formation ©f extensive scabs. 
The itching is «sually excessive, and the aBinnal rubs the 
tiair ami tears the skin in its vaia efforts at relief. It is 
■one of the most serious diseases that attacks anansals, and 
•one of the most ■contagious. If it enters .a-stable, unless 
•extraordinary precautions xrc used, the whole will be 
affected, for tfee-dlightest cwi^tect iseuUcieEt t© commu- 
inieate the infection. The ^feorse, ox, and idog,, are alii 
'subject to the maage; but the disease in>each, differs 
from the disease in the others, aivdtoannot be ‘conimunfi- 
•Catevi from one to the other. Thus the mange of the 
tiorse is never given to the d©g, or that oFithe ox or-eow 
4o the horse, in this respect, the ’mange ifotlowe the 
«ame law as the itch in the huraan race, whichiit in fact 
■snuch resetabies, as (he itch cannot be eommuni'eated to 
4he animal, or the saange of the brute to man. Further, 
(the same medicines that will cure this disease in man, 
■will cure the -mange in ammals, and the same course of 
ttreatmeut that wilii be efSeacions is one case, will sue- 
tceeli in the other,. The rentedy is easy and simple. One 
•ounce of the ffiour ©f sulphur, one ounce of train oil well 
grsarad together, ami half an ounce conimoa turpentine, 
may used The places aSected by map,,^ be 
well brushed to clean /. ^ 
ed with soap and water, and after being 
ointment should be thoroughly rubbed m vvith the W 
or a soft piece of flannel. Corrosive sublimate, helle¬ 
bore, and tobacco, are sometimes used, but great caution 
• ■ -pP with such solutions or decoctions, and fatal 
IS reqUH- ^ ^^en they are unskillfully 
results not umi.'t . . mi- Youatt that sulphur m some 
used. We think ”Vof mange, and that 
form IS *hdiyspensablc 1 .ijgggges, it is the sheet an- 
in this and siihtl3;P erup ■ Some internal medicines 
chor of the sueh .as flour of sulphur, 
may be given at he a mercurial bail. The mange 
or m the case of the ^l^i » • j.,alf sta- 
most commonly originates , , .i,Qge with which it 
wed .nd X* Sa.. wellM, 
contamination by the presence o 11 ,i. of plants, 
and thus increases the i-ewaruoi turino-h Che 
Idea ,n .da 
That the growth of plants exhausts the soil is evident,and 
unless the matter which goes to their formation is re¬ 
turned to it in some form, barrenness is the inevitable 
result. Manuring effects this, It was formerly supposed 
that decomposed vegetables or animal matters, combined 
with certain earthy substances or salts, formed compounds 
soluble in water, which >yere taken up by the roots of 
plants and incorporated into their structure. It is now, 
however, generally supposed that the decomposed sub¬ 
stances or manures do nothing more thap furnish the re¬ 
quisite supply of carbonic gas, which is absorbed from 
the air and elaborated by the leaves, or absorbed by wa¬ 
ter and taken up by the roots, to undergo the same pro¬ 
cess of conversion into vegetable tissue. So far as the 
farmer is concerned, it matters but little which of these 
two theories is the correct one, or whether, (as we are 
inclined to believe,) they are both parlly true, since the 
value and the necessity of the application of manures re¬ 
mains the same. There are in most plants, particularly 
the cultivated ones, certain peculiar principles, without 
a supply of which, in some form, they cannot arrive at 
perfection. The plant may be made to grow vigorously, 
but the seed, or that part which gives it its value, w’ill 
not be formed or matured unless its distinctive principles 
are present. Thus gluten is a distinctive principle in 
wheat; and though a heavy growth of straw may be pro¬ 
duced, unless the nitrogen or the amrnonla necessary to 
its formation be furnished, the berry will be wanting. An 
excess of manures will desU’oy plants as eftectually as the 
want of them, although where plants grow ip a patural 
state, such a condition is not frequent, as the mixture of 
the manures with the earths, while they lessen the im¬ 
mediate effects, prolong their efficacy. As a general 
rule it will be found best to apply manures on or near 
the surface. It is the way nature adopts, and the carbon 
liberated is directly available by the roots or leaves. As 
the circulation of air is necessary to the continued for¬ 
mation of carbonic gas, a shallow covering will subserve 
every purpose better than a deep one. Indeed, it may 
be doubted, whether in every case of the application of 
manures, a surface use is not to be preferred, unless the 
manures are in a fresh state, or evolving ammoniacal op 
other gases, which require a slight covering of the earth 
to prevent their dispersion and comparative loss in the 
air. Messrs. Boussingault and Payen, have lately given 
to the public the results of an elaborate series of experi¬ 
ments to ascertain the relative value of manures, derived 
fro'*” knowleilge of the ammonia they respectively 
furnis^t substance, or rather nitrogen, being by 
' -e ehe'*”’®*^’ Aeemed the element of the greatest im- 
..g jjj manure. From their work, as copied in the 
portan^- ^ Qj^j.^>aicle, we extract a few of the items gi- 
Gardener . , estimate agrees very well 
with tnii^wnic, p‘^'Ctical farmer had allowed some 
of the stme siibstaUces. highest or most valuable 
■ .u ® , Prof Feathers, hair, woolen rags, 
mtheiisl^areplaceciXst . ^ 
horn raspings, and . md dry muscular flesh. 
Earth from graves, soluble - 
next. Pigeon dung. Salted „ 
Bones with their fat. Moist boi.'®®* Pnat <hino- 
drette. Blood, Glue refuse. HorsO ”rtne. , „ 
Cow" urine. 
mec.'*”^”r- 
appUcali.-''” 
Sheep dung. Pig dung. Horse dung, 
ver roots. Heads of wheat. Wheat cliah 
Cow dung. Some manures it is evident, aCi. 
cally as well as otherwise; that is, their 
partially changes the character of the soil, rendering it 
more suitable for the production of plants than before. 
In heavy clay soils, lime or sandy marl has this effect; 
and straw or other long manures plowed under, prevent 
that denseness frequently fatal to cultivation. Manures 
landitheir application, is perhaps the most important to- 
'pic presented to the consideration of the fai’mer in culti¬ 
vating the soil; and if he keeps steadily in view the ne¬ 
cessity of returning to the soil as much or more than he 
takes from it, he cannot greatly err in its management. 
MAPLE_This is the name of an American tree, of 
which there are several species and varieties, the most 
important and valuable of which is the sugar maple, 
CAcer sacharinum.) This tree is found abundantly in the 
northern part of the U. States and in Canada, and large 
quantities of the best sugar is annually made from it. 
Sugar making constitutes a regular part of the farm work 
or«those farms where the tree is found, and from 500 to 
1 , 1 100 lbs. may be considered the average annual product 
of a common sugar works. Fortunately the labor re- 
qui red, falls at a time when other farming operations 
car not well be carried on, being the latter part of March, 
and first of April, and the time that the sap flows vary¬ 
ing from two weeks to a month, depending on the state 
ofll >e weather. The finest sugar is made from the sap 
that flows the earliest; and care should always be taken 
that the sap is always boiled down before the process of 
ferm-?ntation or souring commences. If this cannot be 
done, from the quantity on hand, fresh slaked lime should 
be thi’own into the vessels containing it, which willneu- 
tralize? all the acids formed, and secure the formation of 
sugar. In the latter part of the sugar season, after the 
buds b egin to swell, the conversion of sap into sugar be¬ 
comes more difficult, and that made is not as fine flavored 
as that earlier produced. The sap flows from the albur¬ 
num or sap wood, and this should not be wounded to the 
depth of more than an inch or an inch and a half. The 
practice of “ boxing” the trees, or using an axe to pro^ 
cure the sap is a bad one, and will not be practiced by 
any farmer who expects use his sugar works in com¬ 
ing years. -Froin four to six lbs. of sugar are produced 
in favorable seasons from each tree; and one man and a 
boy will tend from 100 to 150 trees. Some of the other 
- ■ - ' '■ beautiful woods 
called curled and birdseye maple, and which are in such 
demand by cabinet makers. 
MARE.— -Some diflerence of opinion exists among 
farmers as to the respective value of mares or geldings 
for labor; but we think when every thing is laken into 
0 nsideration, the farmer will deem the mare the most 
profilable. Mares are as lasting and durable as geUiings; 
do not usually cost as much; and should any accident 
render them permanently lame, or unfit for labor, or even 
if remaining sound, they may be used for breeding. 
There is no necessity for the mare lying idle while with 
foal. Moderate labor, even to the period of foaling,will 
be better for her and for the foal, as she will be in more 
vigorous health than if idle. It is a singular fact that 
the Arabs, noted for the beauty and value of their hor¬ 
ses, use none but mares. These they find more hardy, 
capable of longer emlurance over the deserts than geld¬ 
ings, and prize and retain them accordingly. Mr. Aouatt 
lays down as a rule, and it is one which we are confident 
every breeder of horses who understands his business 
will concede is coi'rect, that the value of the foal de¬ 
pends a great deal more on (he ilam than on the^ sire.” 
Earmers, however, too often forget this fact, and in rais¬ 
ing horses go on the supposition that every mare is a mare, 
qnd every colt a colt, whether they are worth raising or 
not. A little attention to this point would benefit the 
breeder by adding to his profits, and greatly improve the 
appearance and actual value of our farm horses. 
MARL.—Various earthy deposits are known under the 
name of marl, but that which is the most common, and 
as a whole, of tfie most use to the farmer, is that known 
as calcareous marl, from its containing more or less car¬ 
bonate of lime. Marl is usually composed of clay, sand 
and lime; and the proportions of the former, cause it to 
be called sandy or clayey marl. Nearly all marls abound 
in animal exuvia, such as shell fish, &c., and to these 
their efficacy as a manure may in many instances be at¬ 
tributed. But the most important marls of the United 
States, those of the green sand formation, and which ex¬ 
perience has provreti of such immense value on the sandy 
soils of New-Jersey and the region south, it is supposed 
from the analysis of Prof. Rogers and others, owe their 
efficacy to the potash or alkali they contain, which in 
some instances has reached 10 per cent. T'he clay 
banks in the vicinity of Albany, which spread over the 
sandy plains overlying them, or in their vicinity, pro¬ 
duce such excellent effects, according to Judge Buel, 
contain from 25 to 30 per cent of lime, and therefore 
approach the nature of marl. The central parts of 
Onondaga and Cayuga counties, contain immense depo¬ 
sits of calcareous marl, nearly pure, and which we doubt 
not "will hereafter be extensively used. At present such 
is the abundance of sulphate and carbonate of lime, not 
only in the immediate vicinity, but in the soils of those 
counties, that the necessity for such application has. not 
become apparent. Marl, when dug from the pits, should 
lie some little time on the surface, to undergo aeration, 
and such changes as the atmosphere produces on soils, 
before it is used as a manure. The winter is the best 
time for this, as freezing pulverizes the clay parts more 
effectually than any other process can do. It may be ap¬ 
plied to meadows, pasture lands or corn, and will be 
found useful in all cases, where lime is wanting, or me¬ 
chanical alterations in the soil are required. 
MEADOi^.—The meadow is that part of the farm 
from which in ,temperate or northern latitudes, hay is 
ni'.ade for the wintering of domestic stock. Under the 
old system of farming, the meadow was never disturbed 
by the p'loy^, but for years was resei-ved for the scythe; 
consequently when it was possible, the meadow was 
found on low lands, or those naturally wet, and to pre¬ 
serve its'fertilitj'V niuch of the manure of the farm was 
ajiplied in surface (pressings, to the great detriment of 
the tillage land and thP- crops. Under the improved or 
rotative system of husbandry, every part of the farm is 
alike subjected to the plow and the scythe, and the mea¬ 
dow changes as often as the wheat or the corn field. To 
do this, every part of the farm is first made capable of 
growing any of the commonly cultivated crops, by di’ain- 
ing, and while the average product of the whole farm is 
greatly increased, the quantity and quality of the hay 
made,will be proportionally improved. The grasses best 
adapted for meadows where a rotation is practiced, are 
the clovers, timothy, orchard grass, herds grass, and per¬ 
haps some of the foreign grasses may be found useful; 
but at present nothing known is equal to clover and ti¬ 
mothy. In seeding down lands, too little seetl is gene¬ 
rally used, whetVier the land is to be meadow or pasture. 
Heavy seeding makes a closer turf, finer hay, sweeter and 
better pasture, and by giving more roots restores the ex¬ 
haustion consequent on cropping, much sooner. In seed¬ 
ing lands thej’’ should always be thoroughly I’olled. It 
will assist the covering and germination of the seeds, and 
render it level and smooth for the scythe. Lands intend¬ 
ed for mowing, should not be trodden or poached by the 
feet of cattle in the spring, as such poaching renders the 
surface uneven, destroys the roots of plants, and is of lit¬ 
tle service to animals. Where, however, it is inconve¬ 
nient to subject meado%v land to the plow, and the grasses 
and the product decline, such meadows may be restored 
by occasionally giving them a liberal dressing of com¬ 
post manure, sowing them afresh with a portion of the 
most valuable grasses, and giving them a very heavy 
harrowing in all directions. This will dislodge the mos¬ 
ses that clog the surface in old meadows, loosen the sur¬ 
face and promote atmospheric action, and give a new 
and more vigorous growth of grass plants. 
Good housekeeping is always very essential. 
