MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
kept) to its proper number—the seed and 
labor and other expenses for that product to 
be charged in the same manner. Fencing, tax 
and incidental expenses, not connected with 
any particular field or lot, to be charged to 
“ Farm.” Thus you may know, on “ settling 
up” accounts with fields, the result of your 
labor and experiments. 
To one not accustomed to keeping a diary 
of this kind, it may seem a great labor and a 
great amount of writing; but it must be 
recollected that, all the different kinds of labor 
named above are not done in auy one day; 
very probably you may have, not one day, but 
many days in succession the same kind of labor 
performed, in which case you may “ cut short"’ 
after the first day, and say “ same work and 
hands as yesterday;” after that “ditto” will 
answer, (with the remarks, if any are necessa¬ 
ry,) until you change your kind of work.— 
Many words may be abbreviated, as coin’d for 
commenced, fin’d for finished, A. M. for fore¬ 
noon, &c. Some may probably ask “What is 
the use of all this stuff?” I answer, after 
having practiced keeping such a book as long 
as Jacob served for Rachel, that I derive 
great satisfaction and find it entertaining to 
look back over volumes of former years. In¬ 
cidents which I had otherwise forgotten are 
recalled to mind, many, very many of a pleas¬ 
ing and gratifying nature. Not only the in¬ 
cidents recorded there, but a train of incidents 
recur, standing in some way or other connect¬ 
ed in the mind with it, which cannot be ac¬ 
counted for; but I find this often the case. 
Besides this gratification, I have not unfre- 
quently found it save not only myself but 
others much vexation and trouble, and conse¬ 
quently it has sometimes been called into 
requisition. “ How can that be ? ” says one. 
Well, I will tell how that can be, and how 
that has been. I may know, or some one else 
may positively know, what I was doing, or 
where I was, or what was being done for me. 
That work is recorded, but the transaction, 
the date of which is in dispute, is not recorded 
in the diary, and the date is necessary to be 
proven. But as I or some one else knows 
what I was doing or having done for me, and 
'positively knowiug that the transaction in 
question took place on the same day or at the 
same place, is, taken together, prima-facia 
evidence as to the date in question. Cases of 
this kind have actually occurred, and many 
similar ones might be adduced, but this will 
suffice on this head. 
Without detailing all the benefits derived 
from the “habit” (if 1 may so call it) of 
“keeping” a record of this kind, I will still 
mention one, “ last but not least,” of them.— 
That is, the opportunity it affords for improve¬ 
ment in penmanship. A few lines every day 
or evening is much better than “ lengthy les¬ 
sons, long drawn out;” and what looks worse 
than the wretched, unintelligible scrawl which 
we often see among farmesr’ papers. 
Washington County, Pa. G. W. A. 
WHITE AND BLACK POLAND OATS. 
Eds. Rural: —I have raised the White 
Poland Oats, and also what is called by some j 
the Black Poland. About the 9th of May 
last I sowed two acres of good soil with six 
bushels of seed. The ground was well plowed j 
in the fall, and cultivated with a wheel culti-! 
vator, worked by a yoke of cattle and a span ii 
of horses together, before sowing in the spring, j 
The cultivator was put in as deep as it would 
work without clogging. The oats were then 
sown and harrowed in. They came up very ; 
nicely, and each kind grew nearly alike till the 
heads began to show. The white headed out 
4 or !i days in advance of the other. The j 
black ones grew very rank, and looked black; j 
the straw of the white ones being much the i 
lightest colored. They both grew very rank, [ 
and I confidently expected 75 or 80 bushels I 
per acre, and thought if any oats yielded a ' 
hundred they would. But I was disappointed. 
The dry weather I assign as the cause. The 
last rain was the end of June or the first of 
July, and the weather afterwards being ex¬ 
tremely hot, they ripened prematurely, causing 
them to weigh much lighter than I think they 
would had the weather been more favorable. 
The white ones were harvested with the sickle 
the 2Gth of July, and the black the 1st of 
August. I sowed two bushels of the white, 
and 4 of the black, and when threshed had 
40 bushels of white, weighing about 35 lbs. 
per bushel, and nearly 75 bushels of the black. 
The weight of the black ones I do not know 
exactly, but think thirty two or three lbs. per 
bushel. The seed of the white ones weighed 
about 40 lbs., and the black 36 or 37 lbs. per 
bushel. I think in a good season the above I 
weights may be fully realized. The black \ 
ones had much the longest heads, but the j 
berry was much smaller, and the straw heavier, 
being less apt to lodge than the common oats. 
Tkc straw of the white ones is finer and light 
colored, and the berry large. 
I think the difference in yield is trifling, bo: L 
being nearly alike in proportion to the quanti¬ 
ty sown; what difference there is, however, is, 
in favor of the white ones. Before making up 
my mind which variety is the most profitable, Perhaps I may as well give you my rule for 
I must try them again. I would say to the curing sausage meat, and you may do what 
“Inquiring Wolverine” a great deal has been you please with it. For 20 pounds of meat £ 
said about Poland oats, their great weight, pound of salt, one ounce of pepper and one 
&c.; the only thing that I regret about them is ounce of' sage. Chester Moses. 
'i.grtaltnnil gtiacdlsrag. 
STATE POULTRY SHOW. —FINE FOWLS. 
that I did not sow them three years ago. I 
think they are all they are “ cracked up to be.” 
My crop this year was much better than any 
common oats around me by measure, and far 
better by weight. I think the crop this year 
Skaneau|es, N. Y., Dec., 1854 . NVk have seen no satisfactory notice of the 
—4——-- . ♦— - late State Poultry Exhibition at Utica, but 
MEDITERRANEAN WHEAT. * earn *” rom friends P resent > that the show of the 
- different varieties of improved fowls was excel- 
Eds. iJural: —In the Rural of December lent, though the attendance was not equal to 
UCUCl RtlgUI/. JL 111 Hi XV 111C UjJ liliS VCfl 1 * . ~ A 
was a paying one, although I have always 2d ’ you ^ sire to hear froin some of >' our sub ' the P ublic expectation. It could hardly be 
thought the oat crop a poor one for a farmer senbers ia reference to Mediterranean wheat- anticipated, however, where the exhibition is 
to raise in this vicinity and still think so, as its produlhveness-and also whether it escapes confined to a particular class of products or 
far as the farm is concerned, but as to the the Wee 4 1 have Sown lt; lor <l uite a nun> 8ub j ects - lhat tlie entire community should 
dollars and cents the crop pays very well. bCT . of >* ars - but have never succeeded in feel the same degree of interest as is excited 
. , iij., 1* i i* raising a very large crop—never to exceed when everything valuable produced by the 
j - 1 , „ ' , , , , „ ° thirty bufcels to the acre. I he first time I farmer is presented for notice. The show of 
* . 0M K'°" arb f lcl ' a,Kl al I Bowed it, Los on a good wheat soil, and in the fowls of the Asiatic varieties is said to have 
of putting the gram in he ptmary, *24,2o.- same , ot J ilh tbe SouIe variel fte d been unsurpassed by anyfornicrexhibitioi,.- 
rwenty-flve busneb so d at 9o cents per bosh- l d 8ame , it „, os 80w0(] atthe They were represented by American breeders 
el (for seed) $23,<5; ninety bushels remaining ,. , • „ , , „ ,, „ . J .. . , 
° same time,and in all respects treated aikc.— of the first reputation in large numbers, and 
not sold at 4o cents, i*?40,50; straw, worth at r P i„ „ -,A G , , 1 
i , the result was, fhe boule wheat was an ex- many specimens were perfect m their kind, 
least s?12; total q? iG,2 d; leaving a profit on the .1 „ », , ,, „ 
two acres of oats of fifty-two dollars, making ^ iterranean liuruly worth _ A trio of Brahmas offered by J. W. 
the oats to cost, after deducting the worth of * * 8> 1 " as somCwhat ^ouraged and Herring, Esq., of Camillas, N. Y„ .took the 
the straw, about 11 cents per bushel. In this dld no * “W tOTSOme J ears, but at length first premiums. They were April chickens, 
" war mmicd tn Irv it. ncrwin nml town c-rvu’orl o _• 1 _ j n , in <• • . 
estimate nothing is allowed for the use of the „ , , 
, , ... a , , , , every year : smce with better results. I have 
land, which may be reckoned at 20 cents per „ „ , 1,, . . . 
, ’ x 1 never beenkble to raise as good a crop of it 
bushel more, making the whole cost 31 cents „„ n „ L o i , , 
, . , ’ , ® , , . as I have olthe Soule wheat until the present 
per bushel. Ihe extra weight is greatly in rr ,l , , , ,, 
J; „ , , , o , hJ season. Ill reason is, wheat was very badly 
favor of the Poland oats, for they have no . , , ... I , ,, 0 , . . , . .f 
... , ’ , Al J winter killej, and the Soule wheat being the 
more hull and more meat than the common , . I. . . . ° 
„ 0 TT latest, was inured much more by the weevil, 
ones. E. S. Hayward. . , T, ... , . ; A , ’ 
„ . ., xr v n ,o-, as is alwayathe case with late wheat unless it 
Brighton, N. Y., Dee., lso4. J ] 
_ t . g , , ,_ is so late thjt the weevil are out of the way 
RAIN - WATER CISTRENS. bc f°^ it f,T arge c,10Ugh for tbem to 'I 0 ' 1 ' 
_ into it. Mediterranean is generally out ol the 
Eds. Rural:—I noticed in your paper of wa y> if sown in good season, before the weevil 
the 2d inst, several communications on rain- commence ip ravages. From the experience 
water cisterns. Mr. D. C. Alling recommends that I have fiad in raising wheat, I have come 
wooden cisterns, which he says “ are not only to the coneljsion that Mediterranean docs not 
was induce! to try it again, and have sowed it weighed 8 lbs. each, and for form, size, and 
every year since with better results. I have beauty of plumage, are considered the ne-plus 
never been able to raise as good a crop of it ultra, — bodies of snowy whiteness—necks 
as I have oithe Soule wheat until the present beautifully shaded with black—and tails short, 
season. Tlj reason is, wheat was very badly g l ossy and black as the raven. We inciden- 
winter killej, and the Soule wheat being the tally learn that this trio was purchased at a 
latest, was ijured much more by the weevil, very high price by our valued friend Chap- 
as is alwajijihe case with late wheat unless if man, of Madison Co., and he, no doubt, will 
is so late thjt Ihe weevil are out of the way soon give them pictorially to the public, 
before it get large enough for them to work 
Beet Root Sugar in Europe. —In Emsia 
the entire consumption of sugar amounts to 
85,000 tons, of which 35,000 tons are made 
from bee troot. In Germany, in 1848, the 
better, but in the end, cheaper than water- yield as mudi as a great many kinds of wheat bee ^ su S ar ma d e was 26,000 tons, 
lime cisterns.” Being of his opinion, I have to the acre, but that it is much surer as far as 
recently had a wooden one constructed, and the weevil if concerned. s. t il 
put in use. For the benefit of some of your 
numerous readers, who, perchance, may wish 
to build a cistern, 1 will give a short descrip¬ 
tion of mine. The staves, from 4 to 5 inches 
wide, four feet long, were sowed somewhat 
tapering, from 1J inch pine board. The bof 
tom of the same material. The tub, or cistern, 
the acre, hut that it is much surer as far as in 1853 ll0,i ‘° ‘> 3 . 000 
e weevil if concerned. s. t u. con8u “P llo “ of caoe M S ar decreasing in the 
Brutus, n.y' Dec., 1854 . same proportion. In Belgium the cousump- 
^ - tion of sugar is 14,000 tons, of which 7,000 
COIKING FOOD FOR HOGS. tons are beet su «? ar > and tbe num ^er of fac- 
-- tories were nearly doubled last year. In 
Eds. Rur.ji,: —Sometime since a writer in France the annual manufacture of sugar 
ur pape-Lave it as his opinion that corn amounts to 60,000 tons, which is about half 
CO KING FOOD FOR HOGS. 
, . - I, • i • u i rm , ' your pape ave it as his opinion that corn amounts to 60,000 tons, which is about half 
tapering, from 1J inch pine board. The bot- , , (1 . . . „ . I , 
, * • i mi , , . meal was I • t r raw than cooked for fatteni oi the quantity consumed, 
tom of the same material. The tub, or cistern. , , , , 1 J 
. , , . r , ’ , pork. I did not concur in this, but for the ,- ♦. ♦. < - 
when completed, was 5i feet across the bot- * , , . , T 
tom, nearly 6 feet across the top, the tub was ‘ “ U f r “'° r f, C ’ , P enul0nt '> ear l Mm.Ks.-A French writer says:-« The 
bound with five stout, well-riveted hoops.- * e ° 1 ,h “, faU ‘f'U ° T"' '’“n!'’ lo rat n ’. v "i* peculiarly adopted to every species of 
At the same time I procured at one of our P° A 'and used the meal raw The result was, j agricultural labor. He lives much longer than 
stores, a molasses cask, gauged 150 gallons; ^ ^ " ot rel ; a \ the,r , fo °? ” d ,° M i the horeo ' hc b morc ^slemious, strong- 
this was placed in the ground by the side of “ 3 lboEe r ' d °" ,ca [ d<d mc “'; * ' h,nlt cookci1 1 cr ' and ca P able of ea PP ortta S ,hc S reatrat fa ‘ 
the large cistern. The two were connected, , f “ od . 13 ***° f od “ ECHldcd food for . ho S s ; ii “ uc ' His fauIts arc that “stsmorei 
near the bottom of the cask, by a tightlv fib “f r "f ” rCS f° I ‘» t , re ( 'l"' re *». aall her »it so ; that his foot is slighter and narrower, and 
ted inch and a half pipe. There was a layer 
palatable as when fed steaming warm. 
consequently sinks deeper into plowed land, 
of ten inches of small stones placed over the P Iao is this:—Have your barrel and aa d that he is apt to become vicious when ill- 
bottom of the cask, and a stout coarse piece kettle conveniently arranged; pour in as much treated by the persons who have the care of 
of canvass spread over the stones, and three oi meal 03 7 0U wish to feed at once l then P our bin1, ^ ot withstandmg these inconveniences, 
four bushels clean sand over the canvass.— on boil5n S watcr en o u g b to wet the meal the mule will always be found exceedingly use- 
The water from the roof passes into tbe cask, through; let it stand a few minutes; then pour bd * n agiicultural labor, 
and through the filter into the cistern, the wa- on ccdd wa tcr enough to cool it properly.— ” ' ’ 
ter of which is as pure and clear a3 well water 1 be scalding, as is readily admitted, forms an ' b '- bAussuRE says^ powdered charcoal sur- 
The large cistern is so far under the side o alHuity between the water and meal, so that passes all substances in the power it possesses 
the house, as to admit the lead pipe attaches wb en fed the umal will not settle to the bot- condengMMf ammonia within its pores, par 
to the pump near the sink, passing to the hot- This plan I have adopted this fall, and ticulailjMjBpt it has been previously heated 
tom of the cistern without curving or bendiin find my hogs do much better than on raw orjJ' 0 redness. Charcoal absorbs 90 times its 
it. It will be readily seen that the water in even cooked food. j. b. a. volume of ammoniacal gas which may be again 
the cistern will be much purer by passing w.y., December e, 1854. separated by simply moistening it with water. 
GROUND FOOD FOR CATTLE. 
Warner, N. H., Dec. 11,1854. 
CURING HAMS, BEEF, &C. 
tom of the cistern without curving or bendim find my hogs do much better than on raw orjf'-° redftess. Charcoal absorbs 90 times its 
it. It will be readily seen that the water in even cooked food. j. b. a. volume of ammoniacal gas which may be again 
the cistern will be much purer by passing *<>«, N. Y„ December c, 1854. separated by simply moistening it with water. 
through the filter, than if it came directly *-- Deca y ed w00(1 > accordingtoLxEBio.approach- 
from the eaves into it, and it will also be much GROUND FOOD FOR CATlLE. es very nearly to charcoal in this power; de- 
easier cleaning out the small cask when neces- T r ij t f i . . ! 11 ,ld oak wood absorbs ' ^ t ’ mes vobime , 
sary, than uncovering and clearing out the mer from grinding the grates given to his do- afler havin S been completely dried under the 
large one. Had I seen Mr. Ai.ling’s com hk- mestic animals. I find it inserted in the Lon- au P uin P- 
nication a few’ weeks sooner, I should have 0on Agricultural Gazette —a work of un-. . ♦- 
used clay mortar as he suggested. To lire doubted excellence, by the way—thattwohor-l I ’rofessor Wilson, known to our readers 
serve the hoops, (after they were set,) I ap ^ es > i u cicry respect equal, were allowed each as n 1(j English Commissioner to the New 
p ied two coats of hot tar. L. Bartlett. _ ai £ ountin „ in aU to seventeen pounds of feed ^ ork Exh,bltlon - has been a PP omted to the 
Warner, N. n., Dec. il, 1854. per diem. For one of the horses, the grain Chair of Agriculture in the Edinburgh Uni- 
was crushed, for the other not. One hundred! versity, vacated by the retirement of Prof. 
CURING HAMS, BEEF, &C. parts of the excrements, (solid) of each horse LowE> There were several candidates, but we 
, „ . . "ore cxamiuetlsLemically. on‘he fourth u f le r : ttluIcra tand that the contest was principally be- 
Mr. Editor:—A s I am frequently inquired the experiments were commenced. Ihe ex- 1 f ' , 
of respecting my mode of curing and keening <;r, ' n ' lCrit from tho horse feJ ou crushed outs tween Mr. Wilson, Eoueet Kcssku, Esq a (who 
hams, I thought that I would (if you think COT, f ied Of*™* ? f ”»««« b “l i T ° -T ^ ^ ^ fa ^ 
’ ° . . . merely woody fibre, mixed with secretions and Morton, the agricultural editor of the Gar- 
h f { } a ” swer th e inquiries through the medium Balts> j n that produced by the other animal, deners ' Chronicle. The appointment appears 
of the Rural New-Yorker. For 20 lbs. of one quarter per cent, of nutritive matter, con-1 t - ve „ enera i satisfaction 
meat I use one pound of salt, one ounce of sisting of starch and gluten, was found; arising, B b _* ) 
saltpetre and one ounce of pepper; mix them ’ ndab i tab *y’ / r0Iia , lbo c r on f t 'i tut j? Da l ' nab Bity 
. ,, , ... r „ of the animal to the perfect mastication of the James B. Aldrich, Rose, N. Y., writes as 
Mge er, an a cr ru>bmg the flesh part of grain . an ev ii that must necessarily vary in the that two years ago last fall he picked from one 
the ham over with molasses, I then rub them magnitude ofIts results, with age and rapidity gta)k four thousan J and sixteen kernels of 
Wi^ the mixture and lay them in my cellar of feeding. No difference was found in the b k ' h * Thev wer e counted accuratelv 
where they will be secure from rats; and in excrement of animals fed on chopped and un- 
, , J , T v .I ■ i • chopped hay, though the facility of eating the -;-• *--- 
about two wee s ru em again, anc in f ormerj an{ j the consequently greater period of: Carrots kor Milk and Butter. —It is only 
about two weeks more I rub them the third obtained, was a decided advantage.— a few years since we had various recommenda- 
time and get on all the salt, being sure to rub Germantown. Telegraph. for coloring butter to a deep golden yel- 
the bone or small end of the ham thorough —---tew, by grinding mp and mixing in. the pulp of 
every time. I then smoke them at my conve- Mr. Brown's Farming.— The Rural New j ; he orau g e . carrot > but the best w& y that we 
nience, as, if necessary, it will not hurt them Yorker, having uoiiced our article on the ’ W^lSS 
wpokq a fter thev are smoked I farming of Mr. Brown, of Jlarblehead, asks— tb( r 8e ro °J; 8 liroL tne cow * We aa ' e > 
to he some weeks. Aftei they are smoked (( Will 8 lha CulUvator inform U8 how the sev- Wlth notbin S raore thau “ a T«*8 e decei , lt 
Carrots for Milk and Butter.— It is only 
a few years since we had various recommenda- 
for coloring butter to a deep golden yel- 
by grinding up and mixing in the pulp of 
sack them with old cotton cloths, putting two 
, „ , tenteen covrs are kept in summer? Are they , ... ,i , . 
or three thicknesses of paper over the flesh ;Jlowed t0 paatnre on the unimproved land ; mute resemblmg he best grass bu ter, besides 
part of the ham, and then whitewash them u nd does the $7,000 include the gross receipts u ^'jg a small portion of die milk daily on the 
two or three coats so as to make them secure from the 200_ acres of land, or only from the , .. „ , , a nf vnrio(v 
cow, made seven pounds of butter per week, 
- . | about a peck and a half of the white variety 
rainst insects. I then hang them up on the G -’ acres under uJItivi“tion. ihe receipts | day ' We hope SQC ] 1 of our readers as 
j ers in my wood-house chamber, where the a ' • ,, m vpd Lvnd —Rn^rHh an > wil1 experiment in the use of this root, 
! he present winter, and let ua know the result. 
—Albany Cultivator. 
Domestic Guano. —If ten millions of dollars 
rakers in my wood-nouse cnamoer, wnere rn d lh unimproved tend .-Bo,t. Cull. arj ’ W1U \ T , 1 
sun shines on the roof all summer, and I al * . . . , _ 'he present winter, and let m know the result, 
ways find them good and ready for use at au Corn Cons.—Permit us to advise you not Albany Cultivator. 
time through the season, as I generally keep to eell yqur corn on the cob, but have it shell- ' 
ome as laic as October. I think that hams ed, and keep the cobs for your cattle. liy Domestic Guano. —If ten millions of dollars 
, " \ crushing and steaming the cobs, when mixed are paid out of the United States annually for 
be a little more tender and sweet to lot ^ ^ ^ „ luly ; lhey ,„ uko „„ ^ u it not Umc for furme ’ s 
1 cm he some days after they are killed be- b | e inCKS f ur dr y cattle, and if a quart of meal commence the manufacture of domestic guano, 
fore they are cured. i be added to each mess given, and made into! if, as it is said, every family of four persons 
I cure and keep my smoked beef in the glop, a milch cow will thrive well, and contrib-l may make a ton, by saving what is now 
same way. I ute generously to tho pail.— Am. Farmer. j thrown away. 
FARMERS’ CLUBS. 
The evenings are now getting longer, and 
the farmer having finished up his husking, 
finds leisure to improve his mind and his so¬ 
cial abilities, by reading and visiting among 
his neighbors. Through the spring and sum¬ 
mer, and the early part of the fall, the da^s 
are Jong, and the exertion of laboring from 
sunrise till dark unfits him, in a measure, for 
the enjoyment of social visits, or conversation, 
but now his labor is light, and he finds many 
opportunities to sit down and take up a pa¬ 
per, or a book, without the thought before 
him that he is idle, when his crops are suffer¬ 
ing from his neglect. 
This is particularly the case in the long 
evenings at this season of the year, and we 
hope that they will be improved by our far¬ 
mers, interchanging ideas and thoughts upon 
the systems of raising crops, the best crops to 
be raised, and the best time and depth for 
plowing, and all the various questions arising 
as to the details of farming, upon which there 
always have been two or more sides, with par¬ 
ties to contend for each. 
Every farmer wishes to carry on his farm 
in a way that will, for the labor bestowed by 
him, pay him the best wages. In order to at¬ 
tain this end, it is necessary for him to gain all 
the knowledge he can, in regard to the busi¬ 
ness in which he is engaged. This can prop¬ 
erly be done better by establishing town far¬ 
mers’ clubs, than in any other way. Let some 
of the best and most enterprising farmers in 
each town start the subject, call a meeting, at 
which there will be a greater or a smaller at¬ 
tendance, as there is more or less interest felt 
in the subject, let them adopt a short and sim¬ 
ple code of by-laws, and agree to meet once a 
week, for the discussion of practical questions, 
relating to agricultural subjects, at a central 
place, and we think, that while the members 
would be benefited by such a course, the 
whole town would gradually accquire an in¬ 
terest in the subject, that would be seen in the 
better management of the farms. 
A farmer to succeed in his business, wants 
not only all the information he can acquire, 
individually from his own trials and experi¬ 
ments, but also all the knowledge to be obtain¬ 
ed, from the experiments and acquired knowl¬ 
edge of others, and this he cannot gain if he 
remains at home. lie must go out among his 
brother farmers, be willing and desirous to im¬ 
part and receive all that he knows, or can learn, 
and this can be done more easily by establish¬ 
ing farmers’s clubs, than in any other way.— 
Granite Farmer. 
THE FIELD ROLLER. 
In onr visits to different sections of the 
country, we notice that many farmers are yet 
without this important implement of husband¬ 
ry. We advise all such to provide one before 
the commencement of another season’s opera¬ 
tions. Properly used, it is of great utility on 
any farm. Some persons suppose that it can 
only be used to advantage on light soils; but 
its use is far more beneficial on heavy soils 
than on light ones. Heavy soils break up in 
lumps, and the roller may be made to crush 
them and produce a seed-bed of the requisite ( 
fineness. A clod-crushing roller would be J 
best, but any one of sufficient weight will i 
answer a good purpose. Used^ alternately 1 
with the harrow, the work in most cases can 
be well done, but the roller should not be 
passed over the ground last, as it would leave 
the surface so compact as to form a hard crust 
Even on light soils, it is better to use a light 
bush-harrow after the roller has given consid¬ 
erable impression. The surface is less likely 
to be irregularly broken by rains, as the har¬ 
row leaves it in such a way that the water 
strikes more immediately into the earth at the 
spot where it falls. 
Grass grounds, and sometimes winter grain, 
are benefited, by being rolled in spring, after 
the frost is out. Roots of grass and grain are 
raised out of the ground by the heaving ac¬ 
tion of frost, and this exposure not only 
weakens the growth, but leaves the surface 
uneven and in au unfit state for the scythe.— 
If the roller is put on when the soil is in just 
the right consistency, the team will not poach 
it, and the implement will effect a smooth sur¬ 
face and promote the vigor of the plants. 
Rollers are made of wood, iron, or stone.— 
We cannot say which is on the whole cheap¬ 
est. Any farmer can make one of wood, and 
if housed wliea not in use, it will last an age. 
The node of making them of plank in the 
form of a larg& cylinder is best, as the diame¬ 
ter or height of the implement insures an 
easier draft aad more direct pressure on the 
soil. A joint in the centre is an. advantage,, 
as it facilitates turning, without disturbing tho 
surface of the soil .—Boston Cultivator. 
How much Lime do Soils Need? —We haxe 
lately had occasion to remark (see our paper 
of Nov. 12th) that less lime is needed in sails 
than many suppose. Prof. Emmons, in his 
Report on the Geological survey of North 
Carolina, says—“ lf we may appeal to obser¬ 
vation and experiment, it is established lhat a 
small per centage of lime only is necessary to 
the highest degree of fertility; and yet this 
small per centage is necessary. If there is 
present one-half of one per cent, it seems ta’ 
be sufficient; for it is rare to find a larger 
quantity in productive soils.” Prof. E. is a 
chemist and geologist of long experience, and 
was one of the first (perhaps the first) to as¬ 
certain that some of the most productive soils 
for wheat in Western New York contain com¬ 
paratively little lime .—Boston Cultivator. 
Hogs Dying with Cholera. —We learn 
that within the last week the firm of Wicks, 
Horton & Co., have lost from eighty to one 
hundred hogs at their distillery, situated at 
the outlet of the Skaneateles, one milo and a 
half north of this village. The discaso is said 
to resemble the cholera—they vomit up a 
| green substance and soon die. They bury 
. their carcasses in trenches. The loss is consid¬ 
erable .—Skaneateles Democrat. 
j 
