1858. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
319 
ville, and is a decided success, and is the thing to euro 
all his complaints. It ripened on my farm this year 
Juno 15, and is free from all disease except a slight 
attack of what we call scab. Blue Stem White wheat 
failed entirely, even in the same fields where the Early 
May made a good crop. It is a small-grained, heavy, 
red wheat, weighing 62 lbs. per bushel. It is small in 
the head, short in the straw, bears thick seeding, and 
varies in its production from 15 to 35 bushels per acre, 
according to culture and quality of soil. It has proven 
itself to be as hardy as rye, standing the three past 
winters well. Its uncommon early ripening would re¬ 
commend it to the consideration of northern growers. 
About 250 acres were grown this year in this vicinity, 
all of which will be sown. A. Killgore. Fernleaf, 
Mason Co., Ky. 
May Wheat. —Messrs. Cobb & Co, 21 and 22 Cen¬ 
tral Wharf, Buffalo, write us : “We notice in Coun¬ 
try Gentleman an inquiry for “May wheat.” We 
have a few hundred bushels selected by our Kentucky 
white wheat correspondents. We have already sold 
several hundred bushels in this region for seed. It is 
a medium sizod, amber colored berry. As to the time 
of ripening, we can only say that in Kentucky it is 
about one week earlier than the white, which has been 
tried here for two seasons, and ripens one week earlier 
than our home varieties, and has escaped the fly for 
two harvests past. What the “ Amber May ” will do 
we cannot say. As to its quality for flour, there is no 
better bread substance. We can supply it here for 
3150 per bushel at present—bags 25c.” 
White Rye. —Can you or any of your readers, in¬ 
form me where the large white rye can be obtained? 
Wo have plenty of the small black rye in this country, 
and, as far as I can learn, no other. We sow or raise 
more or less every year for the straw as well as the 
grain. The white rye makes bread nearly as white as 
wheat, and said to be more healthy; and yields more 
than the small. Yerry Aldrich. Arispe, III. 
Sheep at the West. —I have for some time past 
wished to ascertain some reliable information in regard 
to keeping sheep, but have been unable to—hence 
this. Will you or some of your numerous readers 
please inform, 1st. How many sheep can be pastured 
per acre on good clover and timothy? 2nd. IIow 
many—per ton of hay—in winter ? 3rd. What va¬ 
riety would you prefer for the West ? 4th. How many 
bucks per 100 sheep? 5th. How large surface of 
shelter will accommodate 100 sheep ? J. B. Jones. 
Clinton Co., loica. 
Dahlias. —I should like to inquire how to preserve 
Dahlias double—that is, if they change from double 
to single, as I have been told they would. S. [Dah¬ 
lias, propagated from the roots, will not change—if 
raised from the seed, the character of the flowers is 
uncertain.] 
Churning Milk.—I am desired by E. O. Johnson 
of Islip, L. I., to ask of you information in relation to 
making butter from sweet milk. His farmer, or dai¬ 
ry-man, wants to know the whole modus operandi, to 
the end that he may resort to that method, in damp 
weather, when they cannot get the cream except in a 
bitter state. 
[The process is the same as with cream ; but as the 
bulk is very great, and it would be laborious to churn 
by hand, it is advisable to have a one-horse power to 
drive it. The quantity of butter is greater than when 
the cream only is taken.] 
Liquid Manure. —Where there is a sufficient de¬ 
cent from the barn to draw off the contents of a cistern 
without pumping, is it best to let the liquid separate 
from the solid manure, or compost both behind the 
cattle. N. Watertown, N. Y. [A good compost heap 
will save the liquid manure, and unless the machine¬ 
ry and facilities for distributing liquid manure are at 
hand, it will be easiest and best to adopt the former.] 
Simple Information W anted. —I know you are 
troubled with thousands, and what seem to well in¬ 
formed agriculturists, foolish questions and requests, 
but your paper is read by as many thousands who wish 
information more in detail than those already learned 
think necessary to give. It has occurred to me that 
one short article in every number of your paper, giv¬ 
ing an explicit and exceedingly simple instruction, so 
that one who never heard of the subject before may 
understand and practice, as to the propagation of every 
kind of fruit tree and flower from seed, grafting, bud¬ 
ding, &c., would be profitable to very many of your 
readers. Many persons are so situated that they can¬ 
not avail themselves of nurseries, gardens, &c., for 
fruit orchards, flowers, &c., and really remain destitute 
of these things for many years, when one year of your 
paper would enable them to do these things for them¬ 
selves, and a single number would be regarded by them, 
containing such an article of instruction, as worth the 
year’s subscription price. Wm. P. Meli.en. [The sug¬ 
gestion of our correspondent is a good one—we had al¬ 
ready intended to act upon it another year, by giving 
seasonable hints on these subjects ] 
Plowing among Stumps. —I recently bought 100 
acres of land south of this, and find it full of small 
stumps and roots. I am desirous of putting it in good 
cultivation. Now what kind of plow, cultivator or 
other tool, would you recommend. A New Subscri¬ 
ber. [It is always very difficult to plow among the 
roots of stumps, until they are decayed. The best 
way is to seed down with grass for a few years, which 
may be done by making a harrow with the teeth in¬ 
clining backwards, so as not to catch in the roots. Par¬ 
tial and repeated plowings will sometimes prepare such 
land for corn or sowed grain, but the plowing is labo¬ 
rious. In five or six years, most of the roots will be 
decayed, of common kinds of trees. Pine roots are 
almost indestructable, and the stumps must be extract¬ 
ed by stump machines. Small low stumps may be 
made to decay more rapidly by heaping earth or turf 
on the top. Stumps may be extracted with a machine 
when partially decayed, or burned with fire during a 
very dry time.] 
Gibbs’ Rotary Digger. —Please inform me where 
Gibbs’ Rotary Digging Machine can be had, and the 
price. J. L. C. C. [We are unable to answer this 
question.] 
An Ice House Needing Improvement. — I have an 
ice house above ground, twelve feet square ; joists at 
bottom with a loose floor, so as to let all water through ; 
a cement bottom below the floor to catch the drippings, 
with sufficient pitch to carry the water to a certain 
pipe on one side which leads to a milk cellar, with the 
pipe arranged so as to remain full for the purpose of 
excluding the air from the ice below. Now why did it 
not keep ice ? I had it surrounded with rye straw and 
well covered with the same ; a good shingle roof lined 
