THE CULTIVATOR. 
181 
if The benefits which I dei'ive from using this method 
are not inconsiderable. Before becoming acquainted 
with it, I purchased every year from three to five hun¬ 
dred dollars worth of manure, which 1 needed over and 
above that of my own farm yard, for the 200 acres which 
I have. Now I do not purchase one penny’s worth, and 
I can make double the quantity if I choose. I have the 
advantage of producing my manure in the sowing and 
planting season. I can make it more or less strong, more 
or less fermented, so as to suit the soil and the kind of 
crop for which I want it; I spread and plow it in while 
it is perfectly fresh, and consequently in all its strength. 
These are some of the results experienced by me in using 
Bommer’s method of manuring land. 
Gerkit Kouwenhoven. 
FlatlandSj L. I., Sept. 15, 1843. 
ECONOMY OF FARMING.” 
Messes. Editors —I have been reading with some 
pleasure, a pamphlet lately translated from the German, 
by Mr. Smith, with the above title. It is a valuable 
work, but I for one wish the translator had used a little 
more economy and simplicity in the construction of his 
sentences. 
Let me point out to you an example or two of these 
faulty sentences. Take proposition No. 31, under the 
head of “ How much manure is needed to retain a given 
amount of fields in a fertile state;” which reads thus— 
“ That any farm may be maintained in the same capaci¬ 
ty of production, as much manure is required as it would 
receive, if all the straw of the grass kind of grain plants, 
all the fodder which has grown on the field, and for the 
products taken away for the production of manure, as 
much in hay and litter were restored, as the increase of 
weight is less than that which the plants restored have gained 
in organic matter.’’ 
Again, under the same head, proposition 36. “ The 
substance of manure will draw from the soil, through all 
plants, in an inverse ratio, compounded of the absolute 
quantity of their similarly formed product, and their re¬ 
lative power to assimilate organic matter.” 
What think you of No. 36, friend Solon Robinson, of 
Lake Court House? When upon one of your night trips 
to mill, please dream upon it, and give us the meaning 
of it in language which, we of the plow can comprehend. 
If, in the original, Prof. Burger has laid down his pro¬ 
positions in language as obscure as this, his writings 
should be accompanied with a commentary, for the bene¬ 
fit of the plain farmer; if, on the contrary, this want of 
clearness arises from the translator not being familiar 
with the subject, he would do well to obtain some gen¬ 
tleman having a clear and methodical mind, to simplify 
the propositions for him. 
The book is a valuable addition to our farming libra¬ 
ry; but gentlemen who write for the many, should re¬ 
member that the utilitarian reader who is searching after 
truth, prefers it dressed in its simplest attire. 
A Subscriber. 
BROAD TAIL SHEEP. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —The Sept. no. of the 
Cultivator contains an interesting reference to early 
American agricultural works, in which no more than 
justice is done to Judge Peters, the author, as I have 
heard it said, of the system of building covers over 
bridges. Judge Peters was not esteemed by any means 
a good practical farmer; yet, what is much more im¬ 
portant than the working example of any individual, he 
»oused a spirit of inquiry—he put the ball of agricultu¬ 
ral thought in motion. And if he did not illustrate many 
important discoveries or improvements in his own prac¬ 
tice, he was nevertheless the cause of great advances 
being made by others. 
In the south, the planting states, the earliest and the 
most powerful impetus was given to agricultural im¬ 
provements by Col. Taylor, by his essays, originally 
published in a Georgetown, D. C. paper, under the sig- 
na’ure of Arator. These papers were on topics of 
e 'ery day’s concern, and attracted earnest and general 
attention. The style was exceedingly involved and ob¬ 
scure, but the matter was original and sound; but a 
good translation would have rendered them more useful 
and popular, since it would have brought them within 
the ready comprehension of the least intelligent reader. 
It is stated in the Cultivator to which I have referred 
“ Public opinion did not, however, second Judge Peters^ 
and the Tunisian sheep are now almost or quite un¬ 
known in this country.” It is this observation which 
prompted me to take my pen. That the Tunisian, moun¬ 
tain, broad tailed sheep, as they were carefully desio-- 
nated by Judge Peters, should be nearly unknown, Is 
not to be wondered at by those who are aware of the 
remarkable fact that they have not been known to copu¬ 
late in this country. Any one who will examine in the 
Memoirs of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Soeietiq the 
engraved plate of the under surface of the tail of that 
breed of sheep, will at once see the extreme difficulty, 
not to say physical impossibility of access—^the male to 
the female; and extraordinary and unnatural as it may 
appear, the fact is nevertheless true, that coition, unas¬ 
sisted, has never been effected, as far at least as I have 
observed or been able to learn. Two pair at least have 
been brought to me at different times, by different of¬ 
ficers of the navy; yet they did not breed, and all at¬ 
tempts by the process generally but not universally 
deemed indispensable to the iiroduction of a foetus, fail¬ 
ed from the extreme breadth and immobility of the tail. 
The rams were ardent, and the ewes nothing loth 
but a breadth has been given by breeding, as I am per¬ 
suaded, through many generations, with exclusive re¬ 
ference to the tail, that nature has at last said, here your 
experiments shall stop. Mr. Jefferson, to whom this breed 
of sheep was sent or given by Judge Peters, I forget 
which, said that he could never succeed in breeding 
them on the common sheep of the country higher than 
seven-eighths degrees of the blood of the imported 
stock; that in that degree, at the highest, the breadth of 
the tail presented an insuperable barrier. Nothing more 
natural than to inquire, in such case, how is it that the 
breed is kept up in Tunis? for in these matters nature is 
the universal instructor, and rai-ely calls on art for a help¬ 
ing hand. I took some pains to inquire, and among others 
through my late and lamented friend Commodore Por¬ 
ter, a man of genius and of a most inquisitive turn of 
mind; and he told me that in Tunis, where he had been 
invited by the Bey to look at large flocks, the hand of 
the shepherd was employed to consummate the work. But 
as in this country I am not aware that recourse has been 
had to the same kind expedient, it is obvious that the in¬ 
dividuals imported must soon die off and become “ al¬ 
most or quite unknown.” But on the subject of the 
effect of a cross, I have this to say: I was once taken 
by Col. Powell through the Philadelphia market, and 
conversed with all the principal sheep butchers, and their 
experience was altogether in favor of a smart dash of 
the broad tail blood; and they all agreed that since it 
had run out, they had not had such early and fat lambs in 
their market. The fault of the breed was that it was 
extremely light in the fore quarter; but for mutton, the 
beautiful point of which, in a saddle, is a broad and flat 
tail, and for fatness of lamb in the same region, I am 
persuaded there was eminent merit in the broad tail 
breed, and that where there is, as there may be in many 
cases of which we are not aware, any remains of that 
blood, it contributes to the value of the saddle or the 
quarter of either mutton or lamb. Had we the blood at 
our command, to be infused in such degree as might be 
thought proper, it is pi'obable that judges and epicures 
would throw a quarter of it into all sheep intended for 
our own table. J. S. Skinner. 
Washington, Sept. 30, 1843. 
INDIAN CORN—CLOSE PLANTING. 
Messrs. Editors —I wish to state to Mr. Physick two 
or three facts. In objecting to close planting the larger 
kinds of corn, (see Jan. no. of the Cult.) I did so from 
the past 5 'ear’s experience. I had an acre of ground, of 
medium fertility, planted and managed throughout ac¬ 
cording to his directions. From one-third of the piece 
the blackbirds pulled about two-thirds of it, and here I 
had a good yield of corn. The balance was nothing but 
nubbins, and but few of them. During the present sea¬ 
son, I have s.een another piece of corn spoiled by close 
planting. I have observed, however, that land in a high 
state of fertility, will bear much closer planting than 
that which is less fertile, and perhaps land may be so 
highly manured as to do well, planted as close as Mr. P. 
recommends. I do not doubt his statements respecting 
his crops, but do not think close planting will answer as 
a general rule. 
Another fact. In 1832, I occupied a garden on the 
banks of the Hudson, in which were several peach trees, 
and in that summer several of them died with the yel¬ 
lows. One of the trees that died stood beside the house, 
at least 20 feet from where the earth was ever cultivated. 
Where I now live, the yellows is unknown, yet every 
garden is filled with peach trees, and under most of mine 
the ground is annually spaded quite up to the trunks. A 
few trees standing in a grass plat, of the same age with 
those in the cultivated part, are not half as thrifty and do 
not bear as well as those whose roots are annually muti¬ 
lated. Consequently, I cannot think the disease is pro¬ 
duced by mutilating the roots. I believe the disease is 
never known in new countries, till at least one genera¬ 
tion of peach trees has passed away. p. 
Bowling Green, Wood co., O., Sept. 1843. 
COMPARATIVE EXPENSE AND VALUE OF THE 
WHEAT AND CORN CROP. 
Messrs. Editors —The questions are sometimes ask¬ 
ed—Which is the most profitable for the farmer, the 
wheat or the corn crop? What is the comparative ex¬ 
pense of each? And how much land of medium quality 
can the labor of one man cultivate in a season, of these 
crops? _ The object of this paper will be to furnish an 
approximation to an answer to these queries; I say an 
approximation, for such is the manner in which we farm¬ 
ers manage our affairs generally; so little attention do 
we pay to accuracy of detail, and careful note of expen¬ 
ses and labor, that after all, much must be considered as 
little better than guess work in the best of our estimates. 
Besides, two farms can scarcely be found, where, owino- 
to facilities arising Si-om location, buildings, and above 
all, the quality of Wa soil, there will not be less labor 
required to produAc a given crop on one, than on the 
other. In the estimates below, I have given the items 
of expense as they have occurred on a farm of rather 
stiff loam, in tolerable condition, and affording fair ave¬ 
rage crops. Labor I have placed as I have paid for it 
an average of fifty cents per day, with the exception of 
harvest, which with me costs a dollar per day. A day 
with a team, I have'eounted the same as a man. As to 
the crops, I have taken 30 acres of wheat and 20 acres 
of corn, as the base of my calculation; it being by many 
supposed that the amount of land stated in either crop, is 
what the labor of one man and team can cultivate. It is 
known that 07ie man cannot perform all the work on ei¬ 
ther of these crops, but can he do as many day’s works 
as either of these crops require? If he can, then by ex¬ 
changes and good management, he may be said to culti¬ 
vate the given number of acres. 
Wheat —30 acres. 
Expen. Day’s w’k. 
1st plowing. Green sward, 1 span horses, 
1 acre-per day,. $30-00 30 
ad plowing. Green sward, 1 span horses, 
acre per day,. ao-00 30 
3d plowing. Green sward, 1 span horses, 
a acres per day, .. 15-00 15 
Harrowing 3 times, once after sowing, 5 
acres per day, . 18 00 18 
Seed 45 bushels, or IJ bushels per acre, 
$1-34 per bushel,. 55-35 
Sowing six days,. 3-00 6 
Harvesting, $1-60 per acre,. 45-00 45 
Threshing and marketing 600 bushels, at 
10 cents per bushel,. 60-00 60 
Interest on 30 acres, at $30 per acre, for 1 
year and 6 months,. 95-50 
$343-75 194 
Deduct value of straw, at $1 per acre,---- 30-00 
Total cost,. $313-75 
Crop, 30 bushels per acre, 600 bush, value, 600-00 
Nett profits on 30 acres,. $387-35 
Thus the profit per acre, of the wheat crop, is $9,57; 
and the number of days work per acre, 6i nearly. 
Corn —30 acres. Green sward, marmred before plowing. 
Expen. Day’s w’k. 
Manure, 30 loads per acre; JO before and 
10 after plowing, 35 cents per load, -- $100-00 
Hauling and spreading, 3 days per acre,--- 30-00 40 
1 plowing, 1 acre per day,. 30-00 30 
Rolling, .3 days,. 3-00 3 
Harrowing, 4 days,. 4-00 4 
Planting, 30 days,. 10-00 30 
Seed, 10 bushels,. 'i-so 
Hoeing twice, three-fourths of ah acre per 
day, . 28-00 66 
Harvesting, half an acre per day,. 30-00 40 
Threshing and marketing 1300 bushels, at 
10 cents,.. 130-00 60 
Interest for one year,. 43-00 
Deduct half the cost of manure, as 
Cornstalks per acre for fodder, $3.60 60 ) 100-00 
Total cost,. $374-50 
Crop, 60 bushels peracre, 1300 bush, value, 600-00 
Nett profits on 30 acres of corn,. $ 335-50 
Thus the profit per acre of the corn crop, is $16.27, 
and the number of day’s work per acre, 12 nearly. It 
may be said the time spent in threshing and marketing, 
ought not to be taken into the account, when it is desira¬ 
ble to ascertain the labor of cultivation alone. This is 
true, and if we exclude this time in both cases, W'e find 
that it requires 134 days for the wheat crop, or 4-1 per 
acre, nearly. For the corn, it would give 183 days, or 
9 day’s work per acre nearly. At these rates, one man 
could cultivate about 35 acres of wheat, and would fall 
a little short of 20 acres of corn in a season of six months. 
In forming an estimate of the cost and value of these 
crops, however, one thing must not be forgotten, and 
that is, that two crops of corn require only the same time 
as one crop of wheat, and consequently the profits or the 
loss must be in the same jiroportion. The amount of 
the croj) of wheat and corn stated, is about the average 
yield for a number of years on what may be called well 
cultivated land, as the phrase goes. A Farmer. 
^ HABITS OF BEES. 
Although much has been said and written on the 
economy of bees, there are still many things pertaining 
to them not well understood; and it is only by preserv¬ 
ing facts, as they are from time to time brought to light, 
that we may at last be able fully to understand their ha¬ 
bits, and to pursue the best mode of management. 
Some correspondent of the Cultivator denies the ex¬ 
istence of the queen bee, as it is called. It seems to me 
this man’s opportunities for observation cannot have 
been very extensive, or he would not have made such a 
denial. The existence of such a bee is not a matter of 
doubt; the most ample evidence can be had on this 
"point. As to the office, or all the offices of this bee, we 
cannot perhaps speak so positively; but it is well known 
that no swarm will do well for any length of time with¬ 
out it;_ and it is in my opinion equally certain that such 
a bee is the mother of the colony. There are some who 
believe in the existence of a reigning or governing bee, 
but who denominate it a “king.” Such people gene- 
lally consider the ‘‘ fctiig bee” a male, and suppose the 
drones are females. I have often examined the drone 
bees at various seasons of the year, by opening their 
abdomens, but could never find any appearance of eggs 
in them. But eggs have been found in what is called 
the queen bee. 
James Rightmire of Knox county in this state, a man 
of German descent, an old bee hunter, and a close ob¬ 
server, (though of limited opportunities for reading,) 
states that he has several times found eggs in queen bees 
that had been killed or injured by accident. He also 
relates some facts which go to settle the question whether 
it is the old queen or a young one which leaves the hive 
when a new swarm comes out. Some expert bee keep¬ 
ers are in the practice of closely watching a hive when 
it is about swarming, and by securing the queen of the 
new colony, -when she makes her appearance, and 
