re-planting I am plowing my corn, because 
seed saved in the manner described seldom 
fails to grow. But some have seen the fruits 
of my labor, and ns I am perfectly willing 
that they should share with me, I divide my 
seed, giving them equal chance for early 
crops with myself. Hoping the above may 
be of use to W. M. B., and many others who 
read the Rural, I am V/m. Cusan. 
Cicero, Ind. 
J votice in your valuable paper of Aug. 3, 
this question:—“ What are your respective 
method* of saving seed corn ?” I will give 
you the method which my father has prac¬ 
ticed many years. When 'husking we select 
the largest and fullest cars. leaving some of 
the husks on these ; wo braid into bunches 
of a dozen each and hang them up in the 
be required for the trees. Consequently a 
site should be chosen which would give facil¬ 
ity for procuring manure, &c., by water, or 
any cheap conveyance from cities or towns 
where it is abundant. The growth of any 
crops not genuinely agricultural, will usually 
end in disaster to the soil, because there is 
nothing to return as an equivalent for the 
fertility taken away. Cotton will exhaust; 
but when the price is high it pays to buy 
guano; flax is bad unless the seed is made 
into jelly and fad to the livestock. T knew 
tenant farmers who used many tons of the 
best flax seed which 'conkl be bought, and 
cooked it in preference to feeding oil Ciike • 
and the crops of roots and other produce 
which resulted from the use of the manure 
made by the cattle fattened by eating this 
flax seed jelly was surprising. ’ But of all evil 
crops, tobacco is the most hateful, for that 
seems to me to be the most disgraceful to 
mankind. The very idea of cultivatin', a 
rank poison to gratify the acquired taste for 
the filthy stuff, is suggestive of insanity; but 
men will do anything for greed, and even 
parsons in New England, who preach and in¬ 
cite otherwise against the stimulation by 
intoxicating liquids, will grow this stupefy i..- 
and disgusting rubbish, and “chaw” it too I 
TOBACCO CULTUEE 
SYSTEMATIC FARMING, 
The true theory of agriculture is to regard 
it in the light of a manufacturing industry. 
The farmer is a creator of values. Whatever 
lie produces, whether it be a bushel of com, 
a pound of pork, ti barrel of apples, an acre 
of roots, or a firkin of butter; in all these 
cases ho converts raw materials into useful 
commodities through the intervention of 
labor and by the use of capital. He puts his 
products into the market in much the same 
way as other manufacturers. His success, 
Hko lheirs, depends not alone on capital or 
skill or labor or machinery or science or ex¬ 
perience ? on none of these separately and 
exclusively,but on all of them combined, and 
on the judgment with which they uro blend¬ 
ed in due proportion, and on the clear-sighted 
sagacity which is everywhere applied to his 
| when preserved in this way, has never failed 
to grow when planted. Many of our neigh¬ 
bors who took their seed from the crib last 
spring were obliged to re-plant their fields 
with com preserved in this manner, because 
their corn was frozen by the severe cold of 
last winter; but ours sprouted and grew 
nicety and promises to be a line crop. Wb 
have never failed of having corn sprout when 
preserved in this maimer. Notwithstanding 
the drawback which the corn crop received, 
those of our neighbors who iminediately 
re-planted, have a fine growth of corn, and 
it promises to be a fine crop generally 
throughout this section. 
Kent Co., Mich. Faumer’s Bov. 
emoum mere do indications of an expectant 
frost, tobacco Btanding in the field, whether 
ripe or not, ought to be cut immediately, 
since if it can wilt only two or three hours 
frost will not injure it. Where it is imprac¬ 
ticable to cut it in a hurry, large fires should 
be made in several places in its vicinity, until 
the danger is over. Ripe tobacco, standing 
in the field, is extremely sensitive to frost, 
which blisters, burns and destroys it, render¬ 
ing it absolutely valueless. For cutting it 
long sharp knives or hatchets are best and 
most conveniently handled. One blow should 
sever the plant, when it ought; to be carefully 
laid down to prevent breakage of the leaves, 
il the weather is cool it will wilt slowly, lmt 
should the sun Rhine intensely it must be 
watched to prevent blistering, and placed in 
small heaps aa soon as possible. When suffi¬ 
ciently wilted to piVvent breakage this must 
be done regardless of sunshine, to facilitate 
reruoA'al to the drying house. 
It is then placed upon wagons and conveyed 
to the drying house, where hanging it for 
curing is the next thing in order. For this 
there are two methods, one to tie it with 
strong twine upon poles and place them 
across beams, and the other and more pref 
erablo one, to place a jointed, hollow, steel 
spear upon common latlis and run It through 
the end of the plant, placing six or seven 
plants upon one lath and suspending it across 
beams or poles. Care should be taken that 
it is not hung too closely, otherwise it will 
not cure well. Spearing is sometimes per¬ 
formed in the field, which, by some tobacco 
growers is thought to save time. When 
there is no danger of frost, no more tobacco 
should be cut than can be conveniently housed 
in one day. 
To facilitate its proper curing the tobacco 
should be so hung that no one plant shall 
touch the other, and so that the air may 
circulate freely through it. Rain must be 
kept from it by carefully closing the house, 
and sunshine admitted by opening in dry 
weather. It will gradually turn yellow, and 
then dark brown, and requires no further 
TALL MEADOW OAT-GKASS, 
Do you or any of the renders of the Rural 
^EWVORKKK know any tiling of the merits 
of this grass as a hay and forage crop ? I re¬ 
member it was once commended highly to 
mo by u farmer in Maryland; but I have 
never tried it, and would be glad for any in- 
toj mation that will enable me to deteimine 
whether It will pay to attempt to introduce 
It into Eastern Tennessee.—». o. K. 
We cannot speak from experience with 
this grass. But wo remember to have read 
an article several years since by Rev. C. W. 
Howard of Kingston, Georgia, commending 
it highly for culture in that State, Kentucky 
and Virginia, quoting the testimony of ex¬ 
perienced farmers in its favor. Its seed stems 
grow four or five feet high ; on good upland 
less each bushel or ton will cost. 
The reason of this is wo perfectly plain, it 
seems incredible that our farmers do not give 
more attention to the principle, and t ake ad¬ 
vantage of it, to increase their profits. The 
usual explanation with most of them is, that 
capital being limited, they cannot put more 
than a certain amount of expense on each 
acre, even though every additional dollar 
should bring back a hundred fold. 
This is plausible enough at first sight, but 
it does not meet the case, as I propose to 
show at another time ; nor is there any suffi¬ 
cient reason why they should not hereafter 
raise much larger crops and at less cost than 
the average of the present or of recent years. 
Thu topic hero presented is very prolific 
anil full of interest. It opens up to American 
FIELD NOTES, 
Fultz Wheat at Bamboo, TFis. — G. W. 
Wood writes the Western Farmer that he 
sowed some t his wheat Oct. 7, and adds ; 
“ I sowed at the same time Diehl, Tappahan- 
nock, Fultz and lotiselle. It was at least, a 
mouth too late, and 1 had no reason to ex¬ 
pect a crop. Some of it survived the winter. 
The Fultz was the hardiest, next Diehl, then 
the Tappahatmock, and last the Tousellc. The 
Diehl, which I sowed on September 11, is 
| very fine. All varieties in this vicinity stood 
the winter just in proportion as it got started 
in the fafi. I lie earliest sown is almost uni¬ 
formly the best.” 
The. Turnip Fly and Turnip Seed.—Some¬ 
where I saw directions, last year, for pre¬ 
venting the ravages of the turnip fly, and 
tried it, und recommend it to the readers of 
the Rural New-Yorkkr. It is to wet the 
seed with spirits of turpentine, allowing it to 
remain wet half or three-quarters of an hour, 
then dry it with ashes or plaster and sow it 
as usual. I have had no trouble frr.ro 1 ha flvr I 
fowls. Be sure and house them at night ; 
feed upon stimulating food, with care that 
they are well supplied with plenty of fresh 
water, and a grass run if possible, as it is the 
most critical time witli poultry. Too much 
care cannot be taken for their comforts. 
Roup and .many other 'diseases originate in 
the system by severe colds taken in the 
moulting season, and winch often destroys 
the entire fiock the following winter. Be 
sure your fowls go to their winter quarters 
in healthy condition ; and with proper care, 
no fear need be entertained of sickly birds. 
In raising late chickens, hatched in July, 
the greatest care should be taken in the fall 
months, as such will moult their chicken 
feathers when three months old. House 
them in cold, damp weather and not allow 
them to run on cold damp ground ; house 
them in the morning until the grass is diy, 
and feed upon warm, stimulating food ; for 
one roupy chicken may deprive you of your 
yearly profits. I have bred upward of 
500 fowls, wintering about 200 birds and 
never had an epidemic or disease rage in my 
coops. I. S. Ives. 
Salem, Mass. 
SAVING SEED CORN 
Une ot your ooiTeBpondents (W. M. B.), 
writing from Vermont, asks your farm read¬ 
ers to give their methods of saviug seed corn. 
.1. will give mine, which hits proved very suc¬ 
cessful with me, and any one else can follow 
it with good results. The time to pick seed 
corn is in the fall, as soon as the husk is 
about half ripe. Pull off a fi the husk but 
leave enough to tie with another one ; then 
hang them up in a dry, airy place, leaving 
them thus until wanted for planting. BA- 
following the above for several j ears I have 
succeeded in improving my corn far beyond 
my expectations, and I feel amply repaid for 
all my exertions when I see my corn is now 
about two weeks earlier than any of my 
Lhseasea of Potatoes.—An “English Sub¬ 
scriber,” Lancaster, England, asks if any of 
our readers can inform him “The chief 
causes of the various diseases of the potato, 
their cure, and the manner of avoiding such 
diseases, from practical experience.” 
Chicken Cholera Cure.—M rs. E. R. says 
she cured her chickens of cholera as follows : 
I took a lump of alum as large as a hen’s egg 
and dissolved it in half a gallon of water. 
This I thickened with com meal and gave it 
three times a day. Pursuing this treatment, 
my hens were soon well. 
