1846. _ THE CULTIVATOR. 95 
and sow them after the grain has been sown and once 
harrowed; but the writer has sometimes adopted the 
mode of mixing the whole with the grain, sowing all 
together. By wetting the grain, the clover and other 
seeds (having been well mixed by themselves) may be 
made to adhere to it in such a manner that they will be 
pretty equally distributed over the ground. 
A good time to sow clover and grass seeds on land oc¬ 
cupied by winter grain, is to scatter them on snow in a 
mild day in March, or in more southern latitudes, at an 
earlier period. 
CULTURE OF RHUBARB. 
Only two or three years have elapsed, since the Pie 
Plant was quite of ordinary size, and some eight or ten 
stems were regarded as only calculated for one pie. But 
the improvement in this valuable plant within the past 
two years, is really astonishing. We have looked with 
wonder upon several varieties which have lately been 
introduced into our nurseries from abroad. During the 
present season, Messrs. Prince & Co., have exhibited 
before the Horticultural Society, a specimen, the leaf 
of which was nearly as large as an ordinary umbrella, 
and the stem long enough for a walking stick. This 
variety is called the Leviathan, and justly answers to 
the name given it, for its leaves are enormous, and gen¬ 
eral^ weigh from two and a quarter to two and a half 
pounds. Myatt's Victoria is an esteemed variety, has 
monstrous leaves, and under proper cultivation will ave¬ 
rage two pounds. On the whole, from what we know 
of this plant, we recommend that the old kinds be re¬ 
jected, and that cultivators confine themselves to the 
raising of those the most profitable. We especially re¬ 
commend the Leviathan, Myatt's Victoria, Dailey's new 
Scarlet Giant,monstrous leaves, Dailey's Admiral do. do. 
and the Early Tobolsk, a fine variety, and very early. 
There may be other varieties equally valuable, but 
having seen the above in their glory, we noted 
them down with a view of advising the lovers of this 
valuable plant, that one root of any of the above kinds 
is worth more than a half dozen of those ordinarily 
grown. W. It. Prince. 
Flushing, Feb . 10, 1846. 
INDIAN CORN—ROTATION OF CROPS. 
Luther Tucker, Esq. — I send you the following 
mode of raising corn and system of rotation of crops, 
practiced by many of the most successful farmers of this 
town. The corn crop being mostly depended on, by 
farmers here, who raise grain for market, it is placed 
first in the rotation of crops. 
A piece of meadow or pasture, that has been in grass 
three years or more, is usually taken fora piece to plant 
corn. This is manured, if not too far from the barns, 
in the fall or spring, before plowing the sward—gene¬ 
rally the latter—with unfermented manure. It is plow¬ 
ed only once, care being taken to turn it all over. It is 
then harrowed once or twice thoroughly, which fits it 
for the seed, except marking for rows. It is then 
planted between the 5th and 20th of May—the rows usu¬ 
ally 3 feet one way, 2 or 2| the other. It is hoed twice, 
using the cultivator instead of a plow as formerly. As 
soon as the corn is well glazed, it is cut up at the roots, 
and put in small stooks, with 25 or 30 hills in each 
stook. 
Most of the farmers think this the best way, as the 
grain is heavier, and it dries sooner and better. All 
the stalks are secured by this mode, which are very 
valuable for wintering stock. Indeed many of our far¬ 
mers think the fodder from the corn field is equal in 
value to the hay the field would have produced if in 
meadow, thereby making the grain almost a nett profit, 
except the difference in labor of the two crops. 
The yield per acre without manure, ranges from 25 
to 60 bushels. When manure is applied, 40 to 80 bush¬ 
els is obtained. 
The crop following corn, is generally spring wheat; 
as the best crops of wheat are obtained by this course. 
The spring wheat is sown as early in the spring as soil 
and weather will admit, after the ground is well plowed. 
The seed is well washed in brine and limed. It is sown 
at the rate of 1| to 2 bushels per acre. Where the land 
is wet and springy it is plowed well in the fall; then 
soon as the frost is out of the ground in the spring, the 
wheat is sown on the ground, without plowing, it only 
being harrowed thoroughly. This way succeeds well 
on moist lands, particularly if following a potato crop. 
The produce of wheat is generally from 15 to 25 bush¬ 
els the acre. 
When three crops are taken off before seeding, which 
is the case if no manure has been applied, with the most 
judicious farmers, the wheat crop is followed with oats. 
The wheat stubble is turned under carefully, in the 
fall. The oats are sown after one plowing in the spring, 
at the rate of two to three bushels the acre—ten or 
twelve quarts of grass seed, with a sprinkling of clover, 
is sown after the first harrowing, on the acre. The 
land then remains in meadow or pasture three years or 
more, as circumstances require. From 30 to 70 bushels 
of oats is obtained to the acre. As the produce of the 
crops depends very much on the situation, condition, 
previous culture, and the amount of manure applied tc 
the soil, therefore this accounts for the large difference 
in the product of the above crops. G. W. B. 
Eartville , N. Feb. 9, 1846. 
ANALYSIS OF OATS. 
The Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, 
offered in the year 1845, a premium of fifty sovereigns 
for an analytical examination of oats. The objects to 
be attained in the examination, were set forth in the 
following language: 
“ Little is yet known of the true composition of oats, 
either in their organic or inorganic parts. The nature 
of the organic parts, for example, is believed to vary 
with the kind of soil in which the oat is grown—strong 
lands, light, and peaty soils, each growing its own 
peculiar samples from the same seed. The kind of 
manure, and the season cause similar differences, which 
become more marked still when different varieties of 
oats are compared with one another. Again, the inor¬ 
ganic part of the oat varies with the same circumstan¬ 
ces of soil, manure, climate, and variety of seed; but it 
is not known to what extent it varies, either as to quan¬ 
tity or quality. 
“ The Society offers a premium of Fifty Sovereigns 
for the analytical examination of the grain of the oat, 
by which the greatest number of the above points may 
be ascertained. 
“The object of the inquiry is to throw light upon 
the general value of the oat, and of its different varie¬ 
ties, as a food for man or beast; and upon the mode of 
culture which in different districts ought to be adopted, 
in order to raise this or that quality or variety.” 
It gives us great pleasure to state, that among several 
competitors, our correspondent and fellow-countryman, 
Mr. John P. Norton, received the above-mentioned 
premium of fifty'- sovereigns—about $250. 
CONVENTION OF NURSERYMEN. 
Mr. Editor —I noticed in reading the proceedings 
of the N. Y. State Ag. Society, recently held at Albany, 
that a committee is to be appointed to report to a future 
meeting, the names, and to procure drawings of thirty 
of the best varieties of the apple. In connection with 
this subject, I would venture to suggest for considera¬ 
tion, the propriety and importance of having a general 
convention of nurserymen and amateur fruit growers; 
and that such meeting be held at Auburn during the 
next State Fair. 
Let every nurseryman and fruit grower bring with 
him, from all parts of the country—not o.vly from this, 
but from other states—such specimens <?f fruit as they 
may possess; and I venture to say that it wJ& add much 
