1858. 
T H E € U L TIV A T 0 It. 
fall potatoes will fee saved is good condition, that are 
now lost to the world annually for the want of this 
timely remedy. J. C. Cleveland. Torringford , Ct. 
•-€>-*-* - 
The World’s Prise South Down Ram. 
It will be seen from the following letter, that that 
enterprising breeder of South Down Sheep, Mr. J. C. 
Taylor, of New-Jersey,' has received a most valuable 
acquisition to his flock, in the celebrated ram to which 
was awarded the first prise at the great Industrial 
Exhibition in 'France, in 1857. 
Eds. Co. Gent. —It having been announced in your 
Journal that I was the purchaser of the “ Prise Ram” 
at the World’s Exhibition in 'Paris, owned and shown 
by Mr. Jonas Webb of Babraham, near Cambridge, 
England, I am happy to say that the ram has been 
purchased by Mr. J. C. Taylor of Hoimdei, Monmouth 
Co., New-Jersey, and has arrived in this country in 
fine condition. The heavy outlay and great risk at¬ 
tending it, might well deter a man of less nerve than 
Mr. T. in embarking in such an enterprise. The value 
of the sheep may be better understood by a quota tion 
from a letter received by me from Mr. Webb. Speak¬ 
ing of some of his tups having failed in their work, he 
sayss 
“ I would at one part of last season, have gladly 
given 200 guineas for his services.” 
lean but congratulate Mr. Taylor and the public 
on having the services of so valuable an animal in this 
-country, and I can assure the friends of the South 
Down, that with Mr. Taylor’s valuable flock of ewes, 
and his good judgment in breeding, we shall most as¬ 
suredly see great advances on anything yet shown in 
America. Mr. Taylor has my most cordial good wish¬ 
er for his highest success. it. Linsley, West Meri¬ 
den, Ci, SepL 1*9. 
maturing full ten days earlier than the balance of the 
crop. By so doing I shall improve my next crop very 
materially.” 
“ Corn picked now, and dried thoroughly before cold 
weather, will be sure to grow. A day’s work at this 
time, last year, would have put ten dollars in my 
pocket, now—lost from seed which failed to grow this 
spring.” 
These hints, if followed and acted upon, will tend to 
-improve the corn-crop of the country. 
Draining Improves the Quality of Crops. 
That the productive power of the soil was largely 
increased fey draining in eases of retentive lands, has 
often been noticed ; few, however, have remarked upon 
the improvement in the quality of the crop effected by 
the same process. Mr. French, in his Essay on Drain¬ 
age, gives a brief paragraph on the subject, so perti¬ 
nent and conclusive that we copy it here. “ In a dry 
season,” he says, “ we frequently hear the farmer 
boast of the quality of his products. His hay crop is 
light, but will ‘spend’ much better than the crop of a 
wet season—his potatoes are not large, but they are 
sound and mealy”—and so of other crops. “ Every 
farmer knows that his wheat and corn are heavier and 
more nutritive when grown upon land sufficiently 
drained.” 
The deepened soil in which manures have their full 
effect—the season not shortened at both ends by the 
presence of stagnant water in the soil—the mellow, 
porous seed or root-bed, not affected by drought or 
freezing out, all resulting from drainage, readily ac¬ 
count for the improved quantity and quality of the 
crop, whether it be gram or fruit, roots or grass, or 
whatever it may be desirable to cultivate in the best 
manner. 
Seed for Next Year’s Corn-Fields.’* 
Lime as Manure. 
“ As soon as I went through this year’s corn-field 
again, I was reminded fey vacant and small hills, (re¬ 
enforced now with beans,) that we said nothing about 
seed for next year in our recent conversation. I have 
since been selecting seed-corn, and you must look at 
nay dozens of eight and twelve rowed Dutton, worthy, 
perhaps, of exhibition at out county fair.” So said 
the friend, the programme of whose “next year’s 
corn-field,” has already been given our readers. The 
seed was really a fine sample, and we advised him to 
send a few dozen ears to the State Ag. Rooms for dis¬ 
tribution by Secretary -Johnsot. He promised to do 
se. 
“ Did you ever observe,” said he, “the individuali¬ 
ty of the productions of Nature. In that whole field 
of corn, you find no two ears exactly alike. No two 
stalks are the same in habit and growth, but still 
there seems to be distinct classes, which resemble each 
other in conformation and product. In a single hill 
there may be a thrifty stalk with a fully developed 
ear, and perhaps another stalk equally thrifty, with 
an imperfect product, or a dwarfish, irregular stalk, 
handsomely eared, or the opposite. Now, for next 
yearis corn-field,! want fully developed ears from thrif¬ 
ty growing stalks, so that there may be a better chance 
for a large number of like character in the product.” 
“ There is a difference, too, in the time of ripen¬ 
ing, especially the present year. I can select corn 
Messrs. Editors —What kind or quality of soil 
will be most benefited by the application of lime 7(1.) 
For the growth of what crops is it best adapted 7 (2.) 
What number of bushels per acre is the right quan¬ 
tity 7 (3.) 
In what way should it be applied ; whether plowed 
in, or as a top-dressing,* and at what season of the 
year 7 (4.) 
Which kind is best, burned shell or stone-lime 7 (5.) 
Jesse Charlton. South Windsor , Conn. 
(I.) Lime has proved highly beneficial on some soils, 
and but little so on others—but the peculiar external 
characteristic of each has not been satisfactorily de¬ 
termined. Soils which already contain large quanti¬ 
ties of carbonate of lime (of which there are but few,) 
will not of course need it—but on the other hand, there 
are some which exhibit no signs of it, which are not 
benefited. 
(2.) When beneficial, all the common farm crops, in 
a course of rotation, are improved by it. As it is ap¬ 
plied usually but once in a course of years, its effect 
cannot be confined to one particular crop. 
(3.) Here again there is much indefiniteness in prac¬ 
tice and theory. No less than 500 bushels have in 
some instances been employed—more usually 100 to 
150; but some eminent farmers have latterly adopted 
the opinion that 20 or 30 at a time, is as large a quan- 
