176 
THE CULTIVATOR 
Original from Contributor©. 
PLOWING GREEN SWARD FOR SPRING CROPS. 
At what season of the year should, green sward be turned 
over for a crop of corn or potatoes, with the greatest 
atnount of economy in view to the cultivator. ' 
Messes. Editors —That all grass lands intended for 
corn or potatoes, or any other crop, should be plowed 
in the spring, we have many scientific and practical men 
who will correspond to the fact. One man will advise 
me to plow my green sward almost the first thing in the 
spring, as soon as the frost is sufficiently out to admit 
the plow, and advances all his judicious and stable rea¬ 
sons for so doing. Another advises to delay plowing 
until a day or two before the planting, and delay plant¬ 
ing as long as possible, that you may have a good crop 
of grass to turn in, which will serve as a crop of ma¬ 
nure. In illustration of this principle, when I was tra¬ 
veling, the last summer, through the state of Massachu¬ 
setts, in the month of August, I fell into conversation 
with a gentleman, who remarked that a friend of his 
recommended to him some potatoes of an extraordinary 
quality, and offered him some of them to plant; but he 
declined the offer, remarking that he had occupied all 
his ground, and used all his manure; and also, that be¬ 
ing then very late in June, he doubted whether they 
would come to any thing, if planted. His friend replied 
that if he had a piece of greensward that he could spare, 
to do as he had done, viz: to turn the turf over as evenly 
as possible, and drop the potatoes in every other furrow 
while plowing, turning the sod directly upon the potatoe; 
the vegetable matter in the sod, by its decay, answering 
the purpose of a coat of manure. He performed the ex¬ 
periment as recommended, and was so well pleased with 
the present trial ‘that he ordered his men to obtain twelve 
bushels more and plant them in the same way. This 
conversation was about the I7th of August, when he 
informed me that the vines had completely covered the 
ground, and that he never saw a more flourishing field 
of potatoes any where in his life. The soil is a dark, 
gravelly loam, somewhat inclined to clay. 
Another scientific and practical agriculturist, equally 
wise in his own judgment, tells me by all means to "turn 
over my green sward in midsummer, immediately 
after haying, for a crop of corn or potatoes on the fol¬ 
lowing season, and in the spring cross plow and harrow, 
which will make your field as easy to cultivate as one 
which has been plowed two or three years. 
Still another says, there is but one time only when 
grass lands should be turned over, and this should be 
the last thing done on the farm in the month of Novem¬ 
ber. Plowing at this season has many advantages; the 
team is in a better condition for plowing at this season 
than any other; it is a time, too, when the farmer can 
plow the most ground at the least expense; and also 
that by plowing at this season, the action of the frost 
upon the soil tends to pulverize and make it mellow for 
cultivation. 
That this subject, or, when is the best time to plow grass 
lands, with the greatest amount of economy of time, labor 
and manure, or capital, to the cultivator, is attended with 
many difficulties to be answered, I am fully aware. Al¬ 
most every farmer has as many different kinds of soil to 
plow and cultivate as he has crops growing; and as one 
kind of soil will not produce good wheat, while another 
of a different quality will bring it to perfection, so I be¬ 
lieve that the right time for plowing one kind of soil 
does not follow as a consequence the time for plowing 
all kinds of soil. Hence the following: 1. When is the 
best time to plow dry, gravelly soils for a crop of corn 
or potatoes, with the greatest profit to the cultivator, 
from the least expense of time, labor and manure? 2. 
When is the best time to plow moist, heavy, gravelly 
soils, with the greatest profit, from the least expense, 
&c. 
The science of agriculture has, in my opinion, ad¬ 
vanced to that state in which its different branches, like 
that of plowing, should be tested by actual scientific ex¬ 
periment. 
I have advanced these opinions on this subject, Messrs. 
Editors, that I may, if possible, through the medium of 
your agricultural journal, induce some one, if not many 
of its useful and highly intelligent contributors to ad. 
vance their opinions, practice and experience on this 
subject, that thereby I may enlighten my own mind, and 
that the result may be the means of usefulness to many 
of our intelligent and practical farmers. Yours, &c. 
Yankee Farmer. 
New-York, Sept. 20, 1843. 
WIND MILLS. 
Messrs. Editors —Will you or some of your corres¬ 
pondents who are acquainted with wind mills, furnish 
through the Cultivator such a description of the most 
simple and effective horizontal wheel, as would enable 
an ordinary mechanic to construct one. In all sections 
of the country, which are, like the prairie regions of the 
west, destitute of running water several months in the 
year, I think wind might be employed to great profit in 
raising water from wells for our cattle. To draw water 
daily for a large stock of cattle is no trifling task. And 
why might not a horizontal wheel, revolving over a barn, 
furnish power to impel the thresher, straw cutter, &c.? 
An answer to the above will doubtless be acceptable to 
many of your western readers as well as myself. P. 
Bowling Green, Wood co., O., Sept. 1843 
GIN, FOR RAISING EARTH FROM A 
WELL_(Fig. 87.) 
Messrs. Editors —I send you a sketch of two sim¬ 
ple machines, one of which is commonly called a gin, 
(fig. 87.) and is a convenient machine for raising the 
earth from, and lowering the stone into a well, and for 
a variety of other purposes. I have given two views of 
it, that all parts may be so distinctly seen that any man 
may construct one. It may be constructed of three round 
poles or joists ten or twelve feet long; two planks should 
be firmly pinned upon two of the joists, one about three 
feet from the bottom, upon which the windlass is secured 
by means of two short pieces of plank, crossing the first 
mentioned one at right angles, and secured to the same 
by pins. The upper plank is pinned upon the joists near 
the top, and secures the joists at such a distance from 
each other as to admit the third one between them; (one 
end of the rope is also secured to this plank;) a strong 
pin is put through the three joists at the top, upon which 
they turn and admit of being spread more or less at the 
bottom. There is one pulley fixed in one of the joists 
near the top, and one moveable as represented. They 
may be 4 or 6 inches in diameter, as most convenient; 
the size of the pulley has no effect upon the power of 
the machine. Fifty pounds of force applied to the crank, 
will be sufficient to raise four hundred lbs. weight, ad¬ 
mitting there is no friction, and the crank is 16 inches 
and the shaft 4 inches. 
Windlass for raising Water from a Well. — (Fig. 88.) 
The other machine is a windlass for raising water 
from a w'ell, for domestic use, and is so simple as to need 
no explanation; it is simply a crank and shaft with a 
rope passing over a pully. A small friction lever may 
be placed upon the top of the shaft and pressed down by 
the hand, to prevent the bucket from descending too ra¬ 
pidly. The shaft may be 4 inches, and the crank 10 
inches. By means of the pully, the bucket is kept in the 
center of the well, and is not liable to be beat against the 
sides. The shaft is also placed upon o«e side of the well 
instead of over the center, as is the case when no pulley 
is used. Dixwell Lathrop. 
La Salle co.. III., 1843. 
PROUTY & MEAR’S NEW AND IMPROVED 
SUBSOIL PLOW.—(Fig. 89.) 
These plows are light in their structure, simple in 
construction, easy in draft and management, adapted to a 
common team on common farms, viz: for two or four 
horses, or oxen, and efficient in operation. The weight 
does not exceed that of the common plow. Simplicity 
is here simplified, until it is brought within the range on¬ 
ly of that lateral and vertical variation accessorary to the 
adjustment of the instrument to the travel of the team, 
and the depth at which it is to operate. The fact that 
No. 2, working at the depth of 12 inches, after a light 
span of horses, driven and held by a boy, for a whole 
day, with ease to himself and team, and the work per¬ 
formed in such a manner, as to call forth the unqualified 
approbation of numerous intelligent farmers, is conclu¬ 
sive as to ease of draft, &c. The ultimatum as to strength 
has not yet been reached, even by powerful teams. (See 
advertisement.) D. O. Prouty. 
Philadelphia, Oct. 12, 1843. 
TOMPKINS COUNTY PAIR. 
Messrs. Editors —The annual Agricultural Fair of 
this county came off on the 28th and 29th ultimo, attend¬ 
ed with sunny weather and a multitude of spectators 
unprecedented on like occasions. The stock, of all 
kinds, exhibited was not as numerous as usual, but far 
better in quality, especially horses and cattle. Among 
the latter was a two year old half blood Short Horn bull 
(crossed with a Leicester,) owned by Mr. J. R. Speed, 
and bred by the indefatigable corresponding secretary of 
the State Society, Col. H. S. Randall, whose beauty of 
outline approached so nearly to the full bred Durham as 
to deceive many, and which proved most conclusively 
the skill and good taste of the breeder, as well as ex¬ 
tended the reputation of his fine herd. A number of 
half blood Short Horn heifers were exhibited, which 
tended more than ever to impress our farmers with the 
superior excellencies of this favorite breed, and will 
doubtless result in immediate steps with many to more 
extensive improvement of their native stock. So recent 
has been the. introduction of Durham stock info our 
county, that few comparatively as yet have availed 
themselves of it; but those who have, and exhibited 
the cross, I hardly need say, ran away with the chief 
prizes. An extraordinary 3 year old heifer, of native 
breed, was shown by Mr. Charles Morrell, pro¬ 
nounced by several who were at Rochester to be quite 
equal to any thing of like age exhibited there. This 
animal indicates Durham descent, not only in form, but 
propensity to fatten, as she is now in high flesh, al¬ 
though her calf has but recently left her side, was never 
fed a quart of grain of any kind, and her pasture during 
the present season but ordinary. Her weight, while 
suckling her calf, was nearly 1300 lbs. The sire and 
dam were of native stock, and only mediocre in every 
respect; and my sole object in introducing her to your 
notice, is to impress upon our farmers the necessity of 
practicing the utmost vigilance in selecting only those 
animals which embrace the most numerous points of 
excellence to breed from. This heifer is clearly an ac¬ 
cidental; at a single bound she has gone back, no one 
knows how many generations, and exhibits the excel¬ 
lence of some one of her progenitors. It might have 
been otherwise, and thereby shown glaring defects in¬ 
stead of beauties. This propensity with animals as well 
as with the human family, is by no means rare. Indeed, 
a striking instance was presented on the day of the Fair, 
in the cow belonging to the president of the Society, 
Mr. Wood, which took the first premium as to form, 
and a A'ery perfect animal she was, yet had one of those 
ill formed “ pumpkin-rumped” calves by her side, and 
has produced several of them, although no bull has been 
used of that breed! In conclusion, let us all beware, 
and breed frorn such stock as partakes most of general 
excellence, as from so doing general excellence can 
only be secured with uniform certainty in all after genr 
erations. 
Of swine, the Berkshires took the prizes, of which 
there were some capital specimens, quite equal to 
those exhibited at the State Fair, having originated 
from some of the best stock in the state. Some very 
good Merino sheep were exhibited by Mr. J. R. Speed, 
and a lot of Saxons by Mr. A. C. Boyer ; a ewe among 
the latter would have been hard to beat any where. 
The wise discrimination, this year, of manufacturers, in 
their wool puschases, will call out more of this hereto¬ 
fore neglected breed at our Fairs hereafter. 
Though last, but by no means least, it affbrds me great 
pleasure to notice the full bred Short Horn bull, “Re¬ 
mus ,at the exhibition, purchased at the late Fair at 
Rochester by the Hon. E. Mack and Messrs. C. L. 
Grant & Goddard of Ithaca. He was bred by that 
man who has a heart as noble and big as himself, and 
who has, by his kind and urbane deportment, won the 
hearts of every member of the State Society: I mean 
Adam Ferguson of Canada. He is four years old, 
roan, and pedigree pronounced very good, which I re¬ 
gret having lost, otherwise would here present it in 
part. He is not as “ well set up in the tail,” (as breed¬ 
ers say,) as many others I have seen, but in nearly all 
oiher respects he is a very good animal; and the word 
of Mr. Ferguson has been passed, which is that of a man 
of unimpeachable veracity, “ that all his stock gettings 
are very fine.” From the fact of his having been so 
recently introduced into the county, he was not consi¬ 
dered by the committee as eligible for a premium. This 
enterprise on the part of the above gentlemen is highly 
commendable, and will result most beneficially to the 
county, as I understand quite a large number of farmers 
hav'e already signified their intention to avail themselves 
of Remus’ services. 
I regret to say that the in door exhibition was not as at¬ 
tractive as last year; yet, judging from personal obser¬ 
vation of like exhibitions elsewhere, it would compare 
favorably with those of the most favored societies in the 
state. The fruit generally, and peaches especially, 
grown by Mr. Julius Ackley of Ithaca, were superior 
to the Rochester display; and of carpeting of all kinds, 
as well as harness, saddles and Uunks, besides many 
other articles of the useful, are rarely surpassed. What 
the exhibition lacked in attraction, chiefly, was the or- 
