MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
Mr Editor:—I n the Rural of Feb. 18th, 
in an article on “sulphate of lime as a fertili- 
be of considerable value, and by the fourth Still, too much pruning would be injurious. PLASTER ON WHEAT. 
year a lull crop will be realized. The fruit is somewhat in the form of a large - 
Much has been said of the profits of Willow Long Island Water Melon ; outside green, flesh ^ R Editor:— In the Rural ol Feb. 18th, 
plantations for basket making; on which, as in thick, fine grained, orange color, and very sweet. an article on “sulphate of lime as a fertili- 
all similar cases, it may be observed, that extra- Good for baking, and it is manufactured into 7Xtr ' ’ you say ’ " 011 wbeat > Parley, oats and tim- 
ordinary care, in the c:ise of any crop whatev- pies the same way as pumpkins. Should be otby ’ we bave usua % observed little benefit 
er, will be attended with extraordinary produce; gathered soon after the first frosts in the fall. der i ved ^ rom Poster, but should be glad to 
and that wherever there is extraordinary profit If observed in a frosty morning, the riper ones bear bom va ” ous P ar ^ s °* Gie country, of any 
without extraordinary care, there must be ex- can be distinguished by their resisting its j ex P ei ™ en ^ s Giat have been made on these 
traordinary risk. This last is the case with effects ; those not so ripe will exhibit a darker crops ” '[’hough in this portion of South- 
Willow plantations, in common with those of green segment, just so far as the frost has western ^ ' r S™a, plaster has heretofore cost 
the hop vine, rape for seed, and various other affected them. The latter should be first used ■ from b{teeu to tweut Y dollars per ton, I have 
very profitable crops. the former, if not bruised in gathering, may be Used 11 freely and with much P roflt - for the last 
Mitchell quaintly remarks, that where a kept till Spring. * three years, on my wheat. I sow about the 
quantity of land is planted with Basket Wil- The Apple Squash requires the same care last of February, or first of March, a half bush- 
low, a man will do well to make a net profit of to keep clear of these bugs. It. is supposed to * be acre, mixed with an equal quantity 
£20 ($100) per acre. In the Transactions of this said bug is fonder of the Squash than of of ashes - ln 1852, a stri P throu g h a thirty 
the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, any other plant; and from this hint many acre field of wkeat - and a block of a few acres 
Yol. xxiii, for 1805, an account is given of a save their Melons and Cucumbers by planting at one end > were left . without plaster. The 
plantation of seven acres, made in the poorest Squashes between the hills, on purpose to feed stri P not Postered being on the slope of a 
part of the fen lands of Ely, (this land was the bugs — and when they have had their day, bid ’ bl ot> tke road > was in a few weeks 
entirely valueless for any other purpose,) from if any Squashes have withstood their ravages! observed by P erson s passing to be inferior to 
which the following extract is taken. The they are removed from the ground before die tbat 011 eacb sido of chanced that a 
land was cast into beds 12 feet wide, and raised Squash flowers, as the farina would have a bad late fl ’ ost ’ tbat season, injured a good deal of 
18 inches higher than the general surface, by eflect upon the fruit of the other plants. The wbeat bl tbis vicinity. The unplastered por- 
the earth taken out of the intervening drains. Apple Squash is only fit for table use when ^ ons of ' my 'field were seriously damaged by 
Fourteen thousand sets were planted per acre, green; at this stage,— from one-half to full tbe frost; while the plastered portions, though 
and the following is an account of the result: grown,—they are of a cream color, and tender. dec idedly earlier, were not touched. Inde- 
.$<Aoo We cook them whole, like potatoes, and treat P en dent of the frost, I think the difference in 
Planting at To cents b i^°i,ooo,!!!!!!!... 1 10(50 as any other summer Squash. favor ol plastering would have been one-third. 
Agricultural Hiscdlaitn. Inquiries unit ^itshars. 
Forming the I ed,. 
14,000 sets, $10 per 1,000. 
Planting at 75 cents perl,000,. 
Weeding twice, first season,. . 
Parish rates, and other taxes,. 
I am asked a great many other questions in 
favor of plastering would have been one-third. 
As it was, the strip was hardly worth harvest- 
' all (he departments of agriculture. Friends l”*; l ia ‘ at the e “‘ of Md - tho “K h ,he 
First crop cut In September, dried and will please excuse me, and read the Rueal at- b ®‘ “ least one-tlnrd below its av- 
stocked for fodder, when dry weighed six tons tentively. In its pages they will find, in the eia - c P 10 ucb 
two hundred and fifty-five pounds, valued at course of a season, answers to almost all con- ' “ experiments ast season were in the 
$105. Had these been pulled, they would ceivable questions pertaining to the Farm and c0,n P a ™ tn ' e _ value of A ova Scotia and AVes- 
have paid much better, as is shown by the re- Garden. ' [rgmia plaster I saw no difference; 
suit of the crop the following year, the culti- Many seem to have the idea that I have a If 1 acted Woll ’ my wh f at bein S better than 
vation, taxes and pulling costing $55, and personal and pecuniary interest in the Rural ° '' loa 0 1 ie nci g 1 °i mod generally 
yielding $190 worth of white or pulled Willow, New-Yorker. Let me here say that I have nb commence its use, my vheat was in- 
leaving a net profit of about $135 per acre. the same interest in its success that every tiller 01101 ’ Sm °° 1U '° 1( 011 U . S1D ° niy nddcih 
We beg to remind our readers of the him- of the soiI has > or should have > and n0 more - F u^tlie LDDOsitio^tlia/nKster acts 1 
dred thousand acres of land in this, as well as U is > r our interest that its able a » d i^efat- J . PP f ' Lnnv! 
in other Stater, yielding comparatively no in- it to plants, the fact that my plastered whU 
lercsr ax present, v men mignt oe piontably was not bitten may be accounted for, as the in- 
turned into "Willow plantation^-—our own mar- est that the Rural should he well sus- ... . 
tuineu into mow piamauons our own mat- crease of dew may have prevented the plants 
ket supplied the vast sums of money sent an- ’, 1 J0U “ ld ° an each secur0 0110 from freezing. This will also account for the 
nually to Europe for Willow, be retained, and new subscr bei foi this or the next year the list ^ evidenced in this and other experiments, 
circulated among our own laborers. We have Po ^ rabfyin ? to those " ho are worthy, and ^ ^ plantg QOt plastered in midst of 
abundance of land capable of producing good circulation and usefulness ot the paper thoge tha J ^ do Q P thriye SQ well M if UQ 
crops of Willow, without incurring the ex- r w _ such plastered plants were near. They are 
pense of draining, soils that require only the ’ robbed by the plaster's action, of the natural 
pense of draining, soils that require only the 
plow and the harrow, and a little attention. 
SWEET POTATO SaUASn. 
PLATFORM SCALES. 
Friend Moore. —If you will allow me to Mr. Editor: As the Rural is the farmer 
such plastered plants were near. They are 
robbed by the plaster’s action, of the natural 
supply of moisture. 
If plaster is applied late, it may protract the 
growth of wheat and expose it to rust; but I 
should think it might be put on, in your cli- 
answer the inquiries of about two thousand ^ 1) ' cnd ’ and P ro tcctor against humbugs and mada ’ as bl ^ e as P rd ’ danger. 
readers of the Rural through its pages, you 
will confer a favor on me, by lessening my 
frauds, it is our privilege to make our com- I bave nia ^ e several other experiments in 
plaints known through its pages. The plat- tbe use o1 ’ P 1aster > but of these hereafter. 
labor ; also on your patrons, for in no other ^ orm sca ^ es > which are balanced by a screw, 
way can I answer them in time to be of anv are very cotlveuient to weigh with, and are also have been reading it for the last three years 
ce; . v i ce " very handy for a dishonest weigher to cheat an( t am u ot on lv T pleased but delighted with it. 
“ It is to the ladies and gentlemen who have by; one or tw0 turus of the screw will vary Every Virginia farmer west of the Blue Ridge 
ordered from me those squash seeds, that I the wei 8 ht tw0 or three P ounds - The seller is ought to subscribe for it. It is much better 
particularly address myself. Many of you have surprised that his pork weighs so light; he adapted to the Agricultural interest of all that 
had your patience sorely tried, and have no ooks at the scales ’ sees nothin S wrong, the potion of the State than any southern paper; 
doubt come to the conclusion that Mr. Briggs, beam S oes U P <l uick > and the weigher assures such, at least, is my honest and, as I conceive, 
of Squash notoriety, has been playing a mag- fbat the scales are correct, and it has to impaitial judgment. G. Shkluurn. 
nificent (?) game to swindle you out of a post- §° so > P crba ps thirty or forty pounds too little Mont " >nU1 ' C ’’' a ’’ M-iI ) h 
One word of the Rural New-Yorker:- 
It is to the ladies and gentlemen who have 
ordered from me those squash seeds, that I 
particularly address myself. Many of you have 
Montgomery Co., Va., March 2d, 1S54. 
nificent (?) game to swindle you out of a post- ‘ P u ' na ps tnirty or lorty pounds too little “_ ’’ _ \ 0 ' _ 
age stamp. I have received a few missives of on ^ be whore load. MARL 
this import from impatient friends. To such On the 16th of Feb., 1854, I dressed some - 
individuals I would say, that I have exhausted hogs; at night it froze severely, and next morn- Messrs. Editors: — In the Rural of Feb. 
my own stock of Sweet Potato Squash seed, ing, Feb. 17th, the pork was as hard as Jack 18th, Horace Gardner makes inquiries in 
and begged all I could hear of—traveled sev- Frost could make it I weighed it accurately re gard to marl deposited on his farm. I wish 
eral miles to hunt them up — and employed with a balance beam, and entered the weight f° state some facts in regard to its uses and 
considerable time and money in the purchase, of each hog on paper, so as to make no mis- va lue, for it is found deposited on a number of 
and in manufacturing envelops for the seed, take, and sent the pork direct to market. The farms, in this and adjoining counties. It is 
and have finally closed up. Have received purchaser weighed it on his platform scales, coopered a fortune to a farmer, who is lucky 
numerous orders without the stamps enclosed, and the 2,300 pounds fell short forty pounds of en0u o b to possess it- It is worth $0.75 per ton 
and even without being pre-paid, all of which my weight; he was told that the pork was b(d ' ore ^ ’ s move(k Masons think it makes 
I have filled and forwarded, except some eight correctly weighed, and I gave him their weight bme wb ’ cb * s superior to common stone lime, 
or ten who omitted to give their address. Any He apologized by saying that the scales must Pbe manner of P re P a ring it is as follows:—It is 
who have not received their seeds, must at- have been out of balance, and took the pork first moulded into brick > dried and burnt 111 
tribute it to this omission, and I will yet send at my weight. kilns, and is then ready for use. It requires 
them if they will give me proper address. Now, Mr. Editor, if I had not known the only about 37 bours to burn it; > a,ld the lime is 
Now to the inquiries. The Winter Squash correct weight of my pork, I would have lost ^'ltin-ly free born grit and stones. Asafertil- 
requires the whole of our season, and if started that forty pounds ; and if the honest weigher ' zer > baa 110 equal here, being used before 
in a hot-bed, would be still better. They re- has gained forty pounds from every 2,300 as ^ oP aPor 11 bui ned ; 
quire a rich, dry soil. Keep them clear of pounds that he has bought, it will be some P urnace-men think it is indispensable in the 
weeds by frequently stirring the ground.— profit, if he has done much business. melting of it on oie. \\ hen mixed in certain 
Probably the greatest cause of failure in the But what can farmers do? They can pro- P£° I>0rtl0ns ’ lfc has a purifying and Softening 
culture of Squashes, is the black bug, which cure balance beams, and weigh accurately all efTb ct upon 1 ie iron, ^a.u vast quantities are 
I will call the stink bug, and by this name you that they buy or sell, and thus they can find ^ l 1 ’ 11 , 0 ? ^ be ° W US P il0 °’ 
will know him. If attacked by this bug in out who are honest dealers; and when they find , 1 T° U ,. ,V xAKD ^ ER to ^ carcfa J 
large droves, your plant is gone, unless you an hon est man, I would advise them by all J° W ^, lsposes ? U901ar ’ for 1 ,hink ll Wl11 
destroy the enemy. The only effectual remedy i ncang to stick by him, and give him all their ^ * fortune 0 10 wlshos any iaforRia - 
against their depredations, that I have found, business, and not jump at every stranger who tl0 “ 10 re ^“ ° C0 T nfc !° n .°/ U th ° 
is to talie them one by one and sever the head 0 ff er s them a cent or two more. The country manner 0 burmn& ' C " 1 oan ^ VOlt ' 
and horns from the body ; though they may swarms with speculators, who bound into the Burton, Calhoun Co., Mich. March 80^1™^°' 
then walk about as n nothing had happened, market whenever there is a prospect of making_ , , ^ . __ 
they will certainly stop eating Squashes. I a sixpence. They are a curse to the producer, White Beans.—W e plowed one acre, last 
have slain hundreds about a single plant in this an d a pest to the regular business man. spring, for beans, which was slightly manured, 
way ; sometimes thirty to fifty in one engage- Monroe, 1854. a farmer. r pbe soil is a sandy loam, with a mixture of 
menL boon after their appearance, the eggs ♦ - •» • blue clay. The piece was plowed in May, and 
or nits are deposited on the under side of the Sanford Howard, Esq., editor of the Bos- Wanted'in June with the small white bean_ 
melting of iron ore. When mixed in certain 
proportions, it has a purifying and softening 
effect upon the iron, and vast quantities are 
used at Union City, 5 miles below this place, 
I would advise Mr. Gardner to be careful 
how he disposes of his marl, for I think it will 
be a fortune to him. If he wishes any informa¬ 
tion in regard to the construction of kilns, the 
manner of burning, &c. I can give it, 
N. J. Strong. 
Burlington, Calhoun Co., Mich. March 8th, 1854. 
they win certainly ..lop eating oquasnes. i a sixpence. 1 hey are a curse to the producer, White Beans. —We plowed one acre, last 
have slain hundreds about a single plant in this and a pest to the regular business man. spring, for beans, which was slightly manured, 
way ; sometimes thirty to fifty in one engage- Monroe, 1854. a farmer. r pbe soil is a sandy loam, with a mixture of 
ment. boon after their appearance, the eggs ♦ . •» • blue clay. The piece was plowed in May, and 
or nits are deposited on the under side of the Sanford Howard, Esq., editor of the Bos- planted in J une, with the small white bean._ 
leaf in clusters. These should also he de- ton Cultivator, has, at the request of many \y e p oed t j iem but once. They yielded tliirty- 
stroyed. With a sharp pointed knife, that friends, consented to accept commissions from g ve bushels to the acre, and sold for ten and 
portion of tbe leaf may be removed without gentlemen wishing to purchase improved stock. 8 ; xpence per bushel. I think, on the whole, 
injury to the plant, but do not cut off the Mr. Howard is known as an excellent judge ^ey are a paying crop._D. N. Glass, Pavil- 
whole leaf. When the fruit has set, you may of stock He Ls well acquainted with all the { on ‘ yy y March 1854, 
select some two to four fine healthy appearing best breeds and breeders, and is thoroughly -^ -- 
Squashes, about the size of a goose egg, on posted on all importations, past and present.— Great Wheat Croi*. —We are informed 
each plant, and wound all others that they may Prom personal acquaintance, we have no lies that Mr. Horace Bailey, of Sweden, Monroe 
die, or cut them away ; also pinch off the end itation in recommending Mr. Howard to any Co., N. Y., raised, last year, on three acres of 
of the vines—and in course of the season u of our friends who desire to purchase improved land, 171 bushels of wheat, or fifty-seven bush- 
great number of lateral vines may be removed, stock of any kind. els per acre. 
Great Wheat Croi*. —We are informed 
that Mr. Horace Bailey, of Sweden, Monroe 
THE HAY CROP IN MASSACHUSETTS. 
The following extracts from the Report of 
the Mass. Board of Agriculture in reference to 
the hay crop, will be read with interest. They 
do not afford any evidence of that gradual 
diminution of crops, from the exhaustion of 
potash and phosphates, upon which some of 
our popular writers are continually harping: 
An intelligent and practical farmer of 11 amp- 
shire county, speaking of this subject, says:— 
“For ten or fifteen years past, great improve¬ 
ments have been made in English mowing 
lands. Such as were considered worthless 
then, have been so improved as to produce the 
first quality of English grass, which will yield 
from two to three tons of hay per acre. 1 
| should think that quantity and quality had in- 
j creased, within fifteen years, at least, one-third; 
some farmers think one-half. Many tons of 
hay are sold annually at the neighboring man¬ 
ufacturing villages.” 
Another from Berkshire county writes:— 
“The average yield of English hay, is one ton 
and a quarter per acre. Probably 25 per cent, 
increase from improved cultivation, within the 
last ten or fifteen years. Several swamps have 
been converted into excellent meadows.” 
Another in Franklin county says:—“The 
average yield is one ton and a half per acre.— 
Some of the best mowing land produces four 
tons to the acre. The increase is about one- 
third.” 
Another practical farmer in Hampshire 
county says:—“ Considerable attention is paid 
to reclaiming swamps for mowing, which has 
greatly increased the amount of hay upon some 
farms. Within sight of where I am now sit¬ 
ting, there is a tract of land, which, six years 
ago, bore nothing but brakes and whortleber¬ 
ries, and which, by draining and plowing, and 
the addition of but little manure, now produces 
two loads of good hay to the acre, and lias paid 
its way during the process of reclaiming, which 
we cannot always expect. There are hundreds 
of acres in (he State which would do the same.” 
In W orcester county:—“Average about one 
ton and a quarter. A gradual increase per 
acre from year to year, for the last ten or fif¬ 
teen years. From 1843 to 1853, probably 
one-eighth, or 12j per cent, increase.” 
“ Swamp lands have been greatly improved, 
within the last five years. They are regarded 
as the most valuable for grass, and are kept in 
a productive state, with the least expense.— 
The mode of improving them is to thoroughly 
drain, then plow, and seed down with a top¬ 
dressing of compost, in which is a great pre¬ 
ponderance of loam, sand, or even gravel.— 
Then top-dress once in three or four years.— 
Herds-grass, red-top, and clover are the seeds 
used.” 
In Norfolk county, within the last ten or 
fifteen years, much time and attention has been 
given to draining and improving meadow and 
waste lands, much of which was almost worth¬ 
less, but now produces a very valuable crop, 
and probably the increase is one-half.” 
Report of the Mass. Board of Agricul¬ 
ture. —We are indebted to the Secretary, C. 
L. Flint, Esq., for the First Annual Report of 
the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture. It 
is a neat volume of 186 pages, and contains 
much valuable information. The Secretary’s 
Report is an able paper. Remarks on the cli¬ 
mate of New England, by J. C. Gray, is a 
highly interesting article. “ One of the strik¬ 
ing features of our climate,” he remarks, “is 
the long spells of dry weather.” To alleviate 
drouth, as much as possible, he recommends 
irrigation, deep and subsoil plowing, mulching, 
and frequent stirring of the surface soil. These 
are all good, but we are inclined to think that 
thorough underdraining is the great primary 
step in allefforts to modify the effects of drouth. 
Measurement of Hay in Bulk.—A few 
weeks since we inadvertently admitted into our 
columns a short extract from an exchange, 
stating that from 10 to 12 cubic yards of hay 
would weigh a ton. Wc have reason to be¬ 
lieve that this estimate is much too low, and 
that 400 cubic feet is nearer the average quan¬ 
tity required to weigh a ton. 
A Prolific Potato. —The Tallahasse (Fla.) 
Sentinel tells a large story of a sweet potato. 
Daniel Ramijo planted a large sweet potato of 
the variety known as “ Negro killers,” which 
he cut into seventeen pieces; from these pieces 
he obtained vines enough to plant one and a 
half acres, which yielded 303J bushels, weigh¬ 
ing 15,175 pounds. 
Suffolk Hogs. — ln a recent conversation 
with Mr. Melvin Powers, of West Farming- 
ton, Ontario Co., N. Y., he informed us that 
he killed ten Suffolk hogs, all one litter, which 
weighed alive 5,272 lbs., or 527 lbs. each, and 
when dressed, 24 hours after killing, 4,652 lbs. 
or 465 lbs. each. 
. -♦ ■ »-- 
Large Calf. —A correspondent of the 
Mass. Ploughman killed a calf, when six 
weeks and two days old, which weighed, when 
dressed, 169 tbs. The veal he sold for nine 
cents per lb., and the hide and head for $2,04 
making in all $16,98. 
Winter Radish for Stock.—A writer in 
the Mark Lane Express recommends the 
winter radish for cultivation in England, in¬ 
stead of turnips, stating that it is more nutri¬ 
tious than Swedes, (ruta bagas,) and can be 
grown of equal weight on the same soil. 
Winter Barley for String Pasture. — I bave 
thought, and do still think as a general thing, 
that fanners would be better employed in try¬ 
ing experiments upon doubtful matters of tillage, 
rotation of crops, <fcc., than they would be in ask¬ 
ing questions of scientific men, relative thereto. 
In iact 1 sometimes think that the agricultural 
doctors are I ke doctors of another class, often 
mistaking symptoms and then making wrongpre- 
scriptions. But at present I will set aside doubts, 
and in good faith ask a question. The answer 
may guide mb in conducting an experiment, or 
perhaps deter me from making one. 
Some farmers in this Slate are in the practice 
of sowing rye in the fall for pasture, for sheep, 
during winter and spring. This, to my mind, is 
too exhausting to land to be profitable. Would 
not winter barley sowed early in the fall, to be 
plowed under in spring, answer the same pur¬ 
pose for pasture, and be less exhausting to the 
land ? I I ave a patch of winter barley sown in 
September last, which obtained a luxuriant 
growth during the fall, and has remained green 
until within a few days, or until the last severe 
weather.— Linus Cone, Troy, Mich., Feb , 1854. 
W re have not now space to answer this ques¬ 
tion fully, giving reasons for our belief, &e., 
but will just say, that we fully agree with you, 
that rye is too exhaustive to the soil to make 
its cultivation on a wheat farm, as food for 
stock, or fur plowing under as a manure, prof¬ 
itable. English farmers who have cultivated rye 
as an early spring food for ewes and lambs, for 
many years, are generally fully satisfied, that 
though it is valuable food, it exhausts the soil 
so much that they had better let the land be 
bare all winter, than to grow rye. It is not 
positively known why rye is so exhaustive, or 
why it should not be as beneficial to the soil 
as a crop of turnips or clover. But of the fact 
that it is an exhaustive crop there is no doubt. 
Extensive experiments have proved that 
wheat needs for its growth a much larger sup¬ 
ply of nitrogen in the soil than it contains 
when grown; that in other words, for some pur¬ 
pose not fully known, wheat destroys ammonia, 
and therefore requires a large quantity. Now 
it is highly probable that the same law extends 
to rye, Indian corn, barley, oats, sugar cane, 
timothy and other cereals; and if such is the 
case, none of them should ever be grown for 
plowing under as a manure, or simply to enrich 
th§ soil by feeding them to stock. At present, 
however, these ideas are somewhat hypotheti¬ 
cal, though from many facts observed in prac¬ 
tical agriculture, we think they will some day 
be shown by direct experiment to be not far 
from the truth. If they are true, winter barley 
would be as exhaustive to the soil as rye, or 
wheat itself. But do not let these remarks 
deter you from making the experiment. It is 
to practical field experiments that we must look 
lor a solution of this and other mysteries in the 
cultivation of the soil. 
Tobacco Plants. —Would you be so kind as 
to inform me whether it would do to raise to¬ 
bacco plants in a hot-bed, or not; for often in 
the usual way of sowing the seed, plants are got 
so late,that they are often injured in the fall by 
frost, before it is ripe, as far north as we are V— 
it seems to me that a common hot-bed, for for¬ 
warding plants, would be a good thing.—H. A. 
Adgatk, Fast Bethany, N. Y., 1851. 
Tobacco seeds are frequently germinated in 
hot-beds at the north, and the plants pricked 
out when quite young, into cold frames.— 
There is some danger of getting the plants too 
weakly—too much drawn out,—but transplant¬ 
ing them once or twice before the final planting 
in rows, corrects this, and gives strong healthy 
plants. Will some of our experienced readers 
give their views ? 
Scions. —Will you or some of your correspon¬ 
dents inform me through the Rural, whether 
scions cut from young trees are as good as those 
from bearing trees, or will they bear as soon ?— 
If potash is good for grape vines ?—what quan¬ 
tity to the vine ?—J. W. T., Fly Creek, A. Y. 
Farmers, note this. —In a cloudy morning, 
it is a matter of importance to the farmer to 
know whether it will be sunshine or showery 
in the afternoon. If the ants have cleared 
their hole nicely, and piled the dirt up high, it 
seldom fails to bring a good day for the farm¬ 
er, or even if it should be cloudy till ten or 
eleven o’clock in the forenoon. Spider-webs 
will be very numerous about the tops of the 
grass and grain some cloudy mornings, and 50 
years’ observation has shown the writer of this 
t hat these little weather-guessers seldom fail in 
their predictions of a fair day.— South. Cult. 
Bushel and Acre. —What difference is there 
in the United States bushel and the English_ 
also in the acres of the two countries? Jins. 
’Fhe standard bushel of the United States is the 
same as the “ Winchester bushel,” which was 
the standard in England from the time ol' Hen¬ 
ry VII. to 1826, and contains 2,150.4 cubic 
inches. The present standard in England is 
the “Imperial bushel,” which contains 2,218,- 
192 cubic inches, being within a fraction of 
68 cubic inches larger than that of the, United 
States. The acre is the same in both countries. 
A Large Pig. —Samuel Alden, of Lyme, 
N. II., killed a half-breed Suffolk pig, that at 
eight months and twenty-four days old, weighed, 
after being dressed, and exclusive of rough 
lard, four hundred and one pounds! 
