1846. THE CULTIVATOR. 261 
iarly for hogs. We suppose, however, that cattle, and 
perhaps hogs, may obtain some nourishment from cobs, 
when properly prepared, but we suppose the chief value 
of cobs consists in rendering the meal more light and 
bulky, when they are worked up with the grain, by 
which the meal is more thoroughly acted on by the 
juices of the stomach, and consequently more perfectly 
digested. 
Multicole Rye. —Messrs. McCulloch & Kirt- 
land, of Greenbush, have raised a small lot of this 
kind of grain the present season, being the first we have 
ever seen growing. The crop had the appearance of 
being decidedly the heaviest which has ever come under 
our notice, though the soil from its compact and rather 
cold nature, did not seem to be very well adapted to 
the production of rye. A portion, only, of the crop has 
yet been got out, but we have no doubt that when the 
yield shall have been ascertained, it will be found an 
extraordinary one. By reference to our advertising 
columns, it will be seen that E. Comstock & Co. have 
this kind of grain for sale. 
Samples of Wool. —The great number of letters 
we receive, enclosing samples of wool, precludes the 
possibility of noticing them at length. We have some 
very fine samples from Messrs. Perkins & Brown, .of 
Akron. Ohio, showing the condition in which, (as it is 
stated) they always put their wool for market. It is 
most beautifully clean, and we should be pleased to 
learn the particular manner in which it was prepared. 
Messrs. P.& B. state, that “ such wool, in similar con¬ 
dition, has been worth in cash, at Lowell, Northamp¬ 
ton, and Webster, Mass.,, an average of full 70 cents 
per pound, for the last ten years.” The samples sent 
are said to be from fleeces “ each and every one of 
which weighed from 3^ to 3| lbs.” 
We have also received samples of wool from the 
flocks of Ebenezer Bridge, Pomfret, Vt., and B H. 
Streeter, Berlin, N. Y., who have no doubt good 
sheep. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
PROFIT OF HENS. 
J. H. Austin, Canton, Ct., sends us an account of the 
profits of keeping fifteen hens for the year 1845. He 
fed them a quart of corn per day, and “ occasionally a 
few boiled potatoes; also kept a supply of clam and 
oyster-shells pounded for them to eat. He charges the 
corn at 75 cents per bushel. The profits, according to 
his statement, are shown by the following summary:— 
Sold 102 dozen eggs at 12^ cents,....$12.75 
30 dozen, family use, &c.,. 3.75 
75 chickens at Is. each, .. 12.50 
$29.00 
Deduct expenses and trouble,. 9.00 
Nett amount,.$20.00 
BORING FOR WATER. 
In answer to the inquiry of C. Bryant, Esq., in the 
April number of the Cultivator, Mr. Levi Disbrow, 
writes us that there would be no difficulty in obtaining 
water by boring in the situation described, providing it 
is undertaken by those who <e understand it,” and for 
those who are <• able to foot the bills.” He says, “ it 
will prove valuable in towns and among wealthy people, 
but not in other situations.” Mr Disbrow has been 
many years engaged in boring for water; he was in fact, 
we believe, the first to bring that mode of obtaining 
water particularly into notice in this country. He states 
that he was the first to adopt the mode of tight tubing. 
He states that the boring at the large brewery in this 
city, which belonged to the late firm of Boyd & Mc¬ 
Culloch, was done by him; that he there used for the 
first time, a tube to follow as fas.t as the boring was done, 
previous to which there is no accounts of any thing of 
the kind being used in Artesian wells. He states, that 
the light tubing is the only node by which a well can 
be sunk through quick-sands, or where it is necessary 
to shut off fresh water from salt, or salt from fresh, as is 
the case at Syracuse and Salina, and in cities and tow r ns 
along the seacoast. Mr. Disbrow is at present engaged 
in boring for water at Little Sodus, Wayne county, and 
would be glad to hear further from Mr. Bryant. 
MUCK AS A FERTILIZER. 
Mr. Storrs Barrows, of South Trenton, N. Y., 
thinks our correspondent at Castleton, Vt., is wrong in 
the statement that muck e< in its crude state is almost 
valueless as a manure.” (See June No. p. 192.) After 
having used it in various ways, Mr. B. says he is de¬ 
cidedly in favor of hauling it from the swamp in the 
autumn, and spreading it evenly over the meadow. He 
thinks the <( extra expense of composting with barn¬ 
yard dung is not sufficient to warrant the practice.” 
We have often remarked that there is a great dif¬ 
ference in the value of ‘‘muck” as manure. Its com¬ 
position is various. That which has assumed the form 
of peat, usually requires a process of preparation to fit 
it to nourish plants. It is frequently formed in a great 
degree of mosses, which in the course of time, have 
grown and perished—each succeeding crop increasing 
by its decay the accumulation of the mass. Peat usu¬ 
ally contains in a greater or less proportion substances 
which are prejudicial to vegetation, particularly tannin 
and gallic acid, and it is necessary that these should be 
driven away, or rendered harmless, before the peat can 
yield its fertilizing properties to vegetation. On the 
other hand, the muck which is formed by the decay of 
the leaves of trees, (especially those of hard wood,) 
mixed, as is often the case, with the wash of surround¬ 
ing lands, is a different substance, does not contain the 
acids just mentioned, or only in a slight degree, and is 
at once capable of nourishing crops. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
Farmer’s Library and Monthly Journal. —Th* 
work was commenced in the city of New-York, in July, 
1845. It is issued monthly, each number containing 
about one hundred pages. The design is to afford a 
Journal of Agriculture, and also to republish standard 
foreign works. The first half of each number is there¬ 
fore devoted to the latter purpose, and the other part to 
miscellaneous agricultural intelligence. But we have 
so often spoken of the Farmer’s Library before, that 
there seems not now to be any necessity of describing it 
in detail. We have just received the entire work for the 
first year, consisting of two beautifully printed and sub¬ 
stantially bound octavo volumes of 550 pages each. Of 
the republished works, we have Petzholdv’s Agri¬ 
cultural Chemistry and Thaer's Principles of 
Agriculture, which comprise one volume of the Li¬ 
brary. The Journal of Agriculture consists of 
original contributions from eminent practical farmers 
of this country, with similar communications from Eu¬ 
rope, prize essays on various subjects, written in this 
and other countries, and numerous articles from the pen 
of the spirited and classical Editor, with notices of emi¬ 
nent patrons and improvers of agriculture, accompanied 
by well executed portraits and biographical sketches. 
Among others, we are presented in the first volume 
with the portrait of the late Hon. Stephen Van Rens¬ 
selaer, of this city, and that of Judge Richard Pe¬ 
ters, of Pennsylvania. It is announced that a portrait 
on steel of the late James Wadsworth, Esq. ; of Gene- 
seo, is ready and will shortly appear in the current vol¬ 
ume. The work is interspersed with other engravings 
and wood-cuts, illustrative of various subjects connected 
with its design; such as improved implements, plans 
for farm-buildings, animals, &c. The work is “got 
up ” in the very best style in every respect, anti is af¬ 
forded at a very moderate price—the two volumes we 
have described, being sold at only $2.50 each. It is 
edited by that veteran in agricultural literature, John 
S. Skinner, Esq., and published by Greely & McEl- 
rath, Tribune Buildings. New-York. 
{£§=> The first number of the Farmer’s Library for 
