ns 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
June. 
ranging from $25 to $50 per ton. Such waste matters 
are worth saving in this country as well as in England. 
Some fifteen years ago we obtained a cask of ground 
gypsum, (500'lbs.) This was placed in an out-house 
where it remained for about one year ; during the 
time there was turned upon the gypsum large quanti¬ 
ties of chamber lye. After a few months time, by 
testing the gypsum with slaked lime, there would be a 
great escape of ammonia. In the autumn we made a 
compost heap of five loads of good manure and ten 
loads of swamp muck. The next spring, procured a 
cask of lime, slaked it near the compost heap; also took 
two bushels of the ammonia saturated gypsum near the 
compost heap ; then set two hired men to shoveling over 
the compost, while we threw on with a shovel the hot 
lime and the gypsumwhenever a shovel full of the 
gypsum went to the heap, my hired hands would leave 
and See to the windward side, to prevent suffocation 
from the fumes of the escaping ammonia. However, 
we succeeded in mixing the whole together, and pro¬ 
bably we lost the bigger portion of the ammonia that 
we had been treasuring up for a twelve months. Some 
may ask why we did so—the fact was, at that time 
“ we didn’t know no better 1” It was only one of those 
mistakes that farmers are liable to make whenever 
they undertake to meddle with chemicals about which 
they possess no correct knowledge. 
Another time we had a bushel or two of the fine bone 
dust from the button mold factory ; thinking to add to 
the value of the bone dust, we placed it upon the barn 
floor, poured upon it boiling water till it was thorough¬ 
ly soaked, then put upon the bone an equal amount of 
fresh ashes—took a shovel to mix up the mass. In les3 
than half a minute we went out of the barn in double 
quick time—such a smell of ammonia we had never 
before met with. However, we have since learned better 
how to manage these matters. 
We have given the result of boiling horn-piths—our 
next attempt was to burn a cartload ; this most effec¬ 
tually destroyed all of the organic matter, leaving the 
bone in a condition to easily pulverize. But the ex¬ 
periment was attended with a loss of about one-half 
the manuriai value of the bones. Since then, have 
broken up all the bones we could collect with heavy 
hammers, and plowed them in ; but the breaking them 
up is a slow process, to say nothing about the danger 
of getting an eye put out. To-day (April 24) our team 
is drawing horn-piths from a tannery. We shall put 
a pith in each potato hill at planting time, and also a 
spoonful of dry hen manure—(we don’t mix ashes or 
lime with the droppings of our poultry)—and will re¬ 
port to you, Messrs. Editors, the result of the Prince 
Albert potatoes you so kindly forwarded a few days 
since. We have got them cut and limed, as recom¬ 
mended by Mr. Howatt, and shall give his one-eye 
system a fair trial. Levi Bartlett. 
- »»« - 
Potatoes—The One-eye System. 
Messrs. Editors —I find I omitted stating in my 
article on “ Potato Culture,” (p. 202,) one particular 
which I did not think of until to-day in planting my 
early ones, when it immediately struck me; and as I 
am aware that a great many of your readers intend 
trying the one-eye system, I wish them to have all 
particulars, so that they may have success. In drop¬ 
ping the set in your drill, turn the eye of the set on 
bottom of drill—that is, the skin next the earth. By 
doing so, your bud or stalk takes root immediately at 
the base (by set.) If planted cut side down, they will 
not root at the set, but one joint above. In dropping, 
it is as easy to do it right as wrong. This also gives 
you a longer stem. 
In all cases where manure is applied in the drills or 
hills, (drills are preferable,) let it be applied under the 
setin no case over it. If applied over the sets, the 
rains wash the liquid of the manure to the young shoot 
or shoots and injures them. 
I have had orders for potato-eyes, to be cut out size 
of peas, and forwarded by mail. Such is not the way 
to raise them. Those that fail in producing potatoes 
from those pea eyes, must not say the one-eye system 
won’t do. 
To any one who is desirous of making the most of a 
good potato, I will tell them how to do it: Take a po¬ 
tato of any size, put it in a flower-pot, and e^ver it two 
inches over with good rich earth, half loam and half 
well rotted stable manure. Bury this pot in a hot-bed 
to its brim; when the sprouts appear half an inch or j 
inch above ground, run your knife down close by the 
stem until you reach the bulb, then slant your knife a 
little and it is cut, as you will feel by keeping bold of 
the stem and keeping it pulled. When up, have a 
three or five inch pot filled with the same soil, and in¬ 
sert those cuttings all round the pot, pressing them well 
in ; put them in the same depth as they were before 
cutting;, give a light watering, and plunge your pots 
in your hot-bed. One potato thus treated, will give 
you a large amount of plants, as the potato will con¬ 
tinue throwing shoots until it decays. When your cut- I 
tings are rooted, transplant into drills same as plant- 1 
ing, and from your first cuttings you can get another 
crop without injury to them by cutting them off half 
or an inch above ground; they will soon throw out 
fresh shoots. The above plan I have successfully proved 
to be good- in increasing a good variety of potato, and 
a profitable one, as it requires but little work, and soon 
gets you into a good stock of tubers, and such as we 
practice when we meet a valuable potato. Gerald 
Howatt. Newton, New-Jersey. 
-® 9 -■ 
liaising Turkeys. 
Messrs. Editors —In one of your late numbers an 
inquiry was made as to food for young turkeys. Last 
season was not favorable, on account of the continued 
rain for weeks, but I raised sixty from three old hen 
turkeys; by putting the first litter under a hen, she 
hatched out eleven, and the old turkey commenced 
laying soon after her first litter. 
I attribute my success, in a measure, to the feeding 
the young ones on hard boiled eggs, until they are old 
enough to turn out days and pick for themselves— 
driving them up nights into some dry barn. When 
they begin to get a little hardy, and the nights grow 
warm, let them find food and shelter for themselves. 
It is but very little trouble to mince the eggs: Take 
two or more in a cup or bowl, and the point of a knife. 
For a change, give them bread soaked in milk, or a 
little boiled rice. Place the food outside the coop, on 
a clean board, out of the old one’s reach, (corn is good 
enough for her,) and my word for it, it will not only be 
profitable to feed eggs, but a pleasure to see the little ] 
birds eat, and hear them sing at the same time. Feed- I 
ing is one great point; there are, however, many things (ft 
to be observed, as they are a very knowing fowl. \ 
Maria Brown. New Hartford , Oneida Co , N. Y. V 
