1858. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
235 
spongy, that tho grass might readily find its way 
through it. We commend the subject to the attention 
of correspondents especially interested in grass culture. 
*—<-• • •- 
Lightning Rods. 
Messes. Editors —I am intending to erect lightning 
rods upon a 60 foot barn, and wish to ask a few ques¬ 
tions. First, is it best to put a rod upon each end or 
to place them some distance from the extremity of the 
ridge? According to the directions in your Register 
for 1855, two rods, each placed 15 feet from the center 
of the ridge, and extending 8 feet above it, would be 
sufficient to protect the barn. But a gentleman who 
has had some experience in these matters, says that 
barns are generally struck upon the extremity of the 
ridge, and he thinks it best to put the rods there. I 
remember a certain old Doctor who used to say that 
the gases which are constantly rising from new hay, 
and passing out of the windows in the gable ends, pos¬ 
sess a strong attraction for the electric fluid, and he 
said the windows ought to be kept closed during thun¬ 
der showers. Now if this be so, it seems to me that 
it will be best for me to place my rods upon each end 
of the barn, and have them rise above it some 15 feet; 
but will it not be difficult to stay the rods so that the 
upper part will keep in place. Can you tell me the 
cost per foot of such a rod as is recommended in the 
Register. Old Subscriber. Fitchburg , Mass. 
The small amount of effluvium arising from new hay 
could have very little effect in attracting the electric 
fluid, and we should not go out of the way to guard 
against this difficulty. Lightning is more apt to strike 
the ends of the barn, because the ends present sharp 
corners. But rods high enough above would entirely 
shield them. As rods 8 feet high and 15 feet from 
each end would however require to be bent over the 
roof, and consequently be more difficult to stiffen firm¬ 
ly, we would recommend 15 feet points at the ends as 
proposed. They may be easily made stiff against the 
wind as follows:—Procure four pieces or rods of iron 
of about four or five feet in length each, varying grad¬ 
ually from an inch in diameter down to half an inch or 
less ; weld these together so as to give a gradual taper. 
By being thus larger towards the roof and smaller up 
towards the point, the rod will stand firmly. 
We cannot give the precise cost of the rod, but think 
about a dollar per 10 feet, including welding, points, 
and erection. If our correspondent will weigh a rod 
of iron, and multiply the weight by the price, he may 
easily learn the cost of the iron ; then add a dollar for 
blacksmith work, and another dollar for digging the 
hole and erecting, and he will be within bounds. 
Letter from John Johnston. 
Near Geneva, 19th June, 1858. 
Messrs. Editors —I wrote you last autumn, telling 
you that I had manured a small piece of land for 
wheat, that never had been manured, and left about 
the same quantity in its natural state. If every 
wheat grower in the state could only see it now, they 
would need nothing more to convince them that ma¬ 
nure is or soon will be the staff of life. The manured 
piece was in ear all of six days before th8 unmanured 
piece, and stands at least two-thirds more on the 
ground. But that is not all; the manured piece must 
nearly escape the midge, while the other piece must 
be all destroyed. I take every opportunity to let far¬ 
mers and others see the difference—but far more ought 
to see it, as I believe it would do more good than all 
the writing that can be done. 
Winter wheat does Rot require heavy manuring. No 
grain requires less manure, or more judgment not to 
over do it. 
I hope we shall hear something about the result of 
surface manuring this fall, as I know a number tried 
it last fall; but working farmers seldom write for pub¬ 
lication, and I put but little faith in the statements of 
those who don’t see to everything themselves. This 
everlasting twaddle about agricultural chemistry is of 
no use to farmers. What is wanted is high feeding of 
the domestic animals, and common sense, and every 
thing else would go much better. Draining is going 
on in this section as fast as four tile works can turn 
out tile. If we had four more in this neighborhood, 
they would get all the orders they could supply. If tile 
works are put up any where, there will be a demand 
for them now. 
If farmers could all see the necessity of higher feed¬ 
ing—of course making much better and larger quan¬ 
tities of manure, they would then be on the road for 
prosperity. I trust they wont be so long in seeing the 
need of manuring as they were of the great need of 
draining, which has got such a start now that no more 
need be written on the subject, unless some cheaper 
way can be invented than digging the drains by man¬ 
ual labor. John Johnston. 
Hay-Making. 
Messrs. Editors — I notice an article in your valua 
ble journal, headed “ Early Cutting of Hay,” by J. 
H. II, Seneca Co. He says:—“I have observed in 
several agricultural papers, articles enjoining farmers 
to cut their hay as early as at the time it comes out in 
blossom, because, it is said, if properly cured, the hay 
keeps its beautiful green color, and the nutritive juices 
of the plant, to a much greater degree than if suffered 
to stand until the seeds are fully formed.” He says, 
further, that this may be true in regard to clover, but 
he is satisfied that it is not in regard to timothy or the 
other grasses. Permit me to say, Messrs. Editors, that 
agriculture has been my vocation for upwards of half 
a century, or from my boyhood, and I esteem it my 
prerogative to have at least some experimental know¬ 
ledge of the whys and wherefores of some things. 
And now with respect to the right time, and vice versa, 
the wrong time to cut hay. The right time is when 
the grass is fully developed ; if cut at an earlier period 
it will be found to contain so much water that the re¬ 
duction in drying will much disappoint the owner. It 
must not be allowed to stand until its seeds are com¬ 
pletely formed, much less ripe. All plants in arriving 
at maturity, have their starch and sugar and gum in 
large quantities converted into woody fibre; and as 
sugar, gum and starch are almost the only nutritive 
elements, it is highly necessary and desirable that 
these should be preserved ; and the point of successful 
grass cutting is that between the full development of 
the plant and before the full formation of the seed ; or 
in other words, when most of the blossoms appear. 
Grass should never be left to be cut after harvest; if 
it is, it becomes woody, and therefore unpalatable to 
all animals, whether ruminating or otherwise. I have 
