1858 . 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
87 
greatly retard substantial progress in our planting and 
farming industry. A searching review of our current 
agricultural literature would reveal a mass of contra¬ 
dictions, errors, and follies, anything but creditable to 
our every day practice, and our professional attain¬ 
ments. Nothing is more needed than sound criticism 
applied equally to our farm economy, agricultural 
journalism, and rural science. So long as mere pre¬ 
tenders impose upon the public by presuming to teach 
a profession which they have never learned, the pro¬ 
fessional study of agriculture will have the appearance 
of quackery to the masses. The Albany Cultivator 
and Country Gentleman, I am happy to say, have ever 
taken an elevated stand against the errors of popular 
ignorance on the one hand, and the selfish, if not 
fraudulent designs of sharpers, on the other. Residing 
over 100 miles from the office of the Southern Cultiva¬ 
tor, I do not see as much of your paper as I desire; 
and if you will send me your weekly, you may regard 
me as a regular correspondent hereafter. D. Lee. 
Athens , Ga., Jan. 23, 1858 
i and labor, reaping large reward indeed ! Brother far¬ 
mers ! ye who are in the habit of applying your spe¬ 
cial manures either at the first or second hoeing, try a 
few rows at planting time—a hurrying time it is true 
—and my word for it, your corn by hoeing time will be 
able to take care of itself; for then hundreds of tiny 
roots will have pierced the decaying mould, supplying 
itself with whatever is requisite for the growth of the 
parent stalk. J. E. S. Maple Grove , Del. Co., N. Y. 
Poultry Manure for Corn. 
Eds. Cguutry Gent. —In your paper of April 16th, 
18-57, is recorded the result of an experiment with 
hen manure—how composted, and in what manner 
applied. The past year I have also tested the value 
of hen manure as applied to the corn crop, and with 
results the most astonishing ; substantiating in my view 
the remark made in a former article, that the value of 
concentrated manures, applied to the young and fee¬ 
ble plant, of whatever kind, was not sufficiently under¬ 
stood by our farmers. And if this article should in¬ 
duce any of your readers who have been in the habit 
of applying all special fertilizers in a la ter stage of the 
plant’s growth—whether ashes, plaster or hen manure 
—to try at least a few rows of corn, the manure for 
which shall be so applied that the young plant in its 
earliest stages of growth shall receive benefit there¬ 
from, and notice the result of such trial—then I am 
confident that what I shall write will not prove a mere 
“ waste of printer’s ink.” 
The past season my cornfield of eleven acres was 
meadow sward, turned over a few days before plant¬ 
ing, and all manured alike, with common barn-yard 
manure. Soil a rich gravelly loam, that for two years 
previous had averaged at least two tons of hay to the 
acre. 
I am thus particular for the reason that I would show 
sufficient strength of soil to grow “some corn,” without 
the aid of any foreign fertilizers; and fully equal to the 
average corn-fields of the State. Four rows, running 
north and south, through the center of the fiold, were 
planted at the same time, and under the same circum¬ 
stances as the remainder of the field, minus the appli¬ 
cation to each hill before planting, of a compost of hen 
manure, plaster and ashes. From these four rows I 
harvested just 6| bushels of sound corn; or a trifle over 
la bushels to the row. From four rows immediately 
adjoining, I husked just 12| bushels of sound corn, or 
a trifle over 3 bushels to the row—the “hog corn” in 
both instances being nearly equal. I am aware that 
this proves a difference hardly credible; and yet the 
facts warrant me in saying that I nearly doubled my 
yield of corn by applying merely a table-spoonful of 
the above compost to each hill; for so trifling expense 
How to Grow Early Cucumbers and Melons. 
Messrs. Editors —You have published in your ex¬ 
cellent journal several methods for forcing cucumbers 
and melons for early use. I have one which I have 
proved by experience to be a good one, and with 
your permission I will give it for the benefit of 
your readers. My first preparation for planting, 
is the making of a good hot-bed, one that will give 
considerable heat and retain it. I usually plant 
about the first of March or a little later. I then pro¬ 
cure empty oyster kegs, saw them in two, bore a 
hole in the center of each head for drainage, which I 
cover with pieces of broken pots or other porous mate¬ 
rial, and then fill with a fine and rich compost, and 
plant my seeds in them. I bury my kegs to their 
rims in the dirt of my hot-bed, when it has become 
sufficiently warm, and the plants make their appear¬ 
ance in a few days. I am then careful to water as of¬ 
ten as is necessrry, and keep my frame at such a tem¬ 
perature that my plants will grow stocky and look 
healthy, not spindling. When my ground is right for 
transplanting, I make hills two feet in diameter and 
the same in depth, rich and mellow, and then lift my 
boxes from the bed, cut their hoops , when the staves 
will readily fall apart, leaving a clear ball of earth 
and roots, and the latter whole and undisturbed, which 
I bury in my hills; the plants will grow without check 
> if the work is done with care, and early fruit i3 the 
.reward. I use the gallon and larger sizes of kegs, as 
they allow more room for the roots to grow in, and be¬ 
fore transplanting I “ harden my plants off,” and af¬ 
terwards use boxes around them with a pane of glass 
in the top. I claim for this method, over that of plant¬ 
ing upon inverted turf, one great advantage, which is 
this: The roots of my plants are never broken or dis¬ 
turbed, but grow without check; whereas, upon turf 
the contrary is the case, even with the utmost care. 
The cost is a trifle, as any one can see, for the kegs 
can often be had for the asking, as they are usually 
broken to pieces and burnt at the hotels, &c. I have 
grown cucumbers and melons by this method with per¬ 
fect success, and as the plants get the start of the bugs, 
I am never troubled by them. For market gardeners, 
of course Mr. Howatt’s way is the best, but for ama¬ 
teur gardeners, this will be found as good as any where 
plants are to be grown for family use. J. H. H 
Clark's Mills , Oneida Co ., N. Y. 
A Recipe for Making Brown Bread. 
I will give you my recipe for making brown bread, 
which I have adopted of late and find it very good. 
Take two quarts of corn meal, two do. of shorts, one 
tablespoonful of salt, one teacup of molasses. Stew a 
squash or a good pumpkin, in water sufficient to wet 
this mass ; pour it on boiling hot. When cool enough, 
add a pint of yeast and two quarts of wheat flour; 
this will make four loaves. When light, bake three 
hours. Lady Reader. Pleasant Ridge , 111. 
