Sept. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
273 
out. Farina is the starch of the potato, taken from 
the fibre, and contains nothing 1 beyond the properties of 
starch—while the fibre, which is thrown away in the 
manufacture of farina, is rich in animal matter and oil, 
and by being combined with the farina, or fecula, pro¬ 
duces a meal or flour, closelv analagous to that of grain. 
This fact it was particularly necessary to bear in mind, 
in order to counteract the impression that there was but 
little nutriment in potatoes—a strange one, where so 
many millions lived on them as their only food. 
A comparison was then entered into between the 
relative amount of food obtained from an acre of land, 
in wheat and potatoes. On this subject, Mr. Rogers 
stated that he did not rely on his own experience, but 
cited the authority of practical men as to produce, and 
of eminent scientific men as to the analysis of the re¬ 
spective crops, stating the following as the result of his 
inquiry:— 
Starch and Sugar . Gluten . Oil. 
1 acre of wheat,. 825 lbs. 185 lbs. 45 lbs. 
1 acre of potatoes, ... 3427 lbs. 604 lbs. 45 lbs. 
Thus it appears that potatoes will produce of meal 
and flour, four times, nearly, in weight, what can be 
had from wheat—a fact not generally known, but 
which could not be contradicted. He begged to im¬ 
press this startling fact on the minds of those who heard 
him, and hoped to rescue the potato from the calum¬ 
nies thrown upon it. 55 
The following table, calculated by Mr. Solly, che¬ 
mist to the Royal Agricultural Society, shows the 
comparative amounts of nutriment afforded by certain 
crops, according to his analyses: 
Average Produce per Acre. 
W ater. 
Unazotized 
Organic Matter. 
Protein 
Compounds.* 
Inorganic 
Matter. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
1. Turneps, 
25 tons, or 56,000 
51800.0 
3309.6 
442 4 
448,0 
2. Carrots, 
15 tons, or 33^600 
29433.6 
3128.2 
655 2 
383.0 
3. Parsneps, 
12 tons, or 26.880 
21542.7 
4642 2 
561.8 
333.3 
4. Potatoes, 
8 tons, or 17'920 
14228-5 
3053.6 
433.7 
204.2 
5. Barley, 
35 bsh., or 1,800 
237.0 
1314.2 
205 9 
42.3 
6. Oats, 
40 bsh., or 1,700 
238.0 
1215.7 
1S7.8 
5^.5 
7. Peas, 
25 bsh., or 1,600 
137 6 
1017.7 
399 4 
45.3 
8. Beans, 
27j bu., or 1,750 
138.2 
979.0 
581 2 
51.6 
•9. Wheat, 
28 bsh,, or 1,980 
243.6 
1184 4 
248 4 
33.6 
10. Cabbage, 10,000 plants, or 80,000 
73840.0 
4184.0 
1456.0 
524.0 
11. Jerusalem Artichokes, 
500 bush., or 28,000 
22176.0 
4888.8 
599 0 
336.0 
12. Beets.. 
65S50.0 
7312 5 
1020.0 
817.5 
1 3. Buckwheat, 
30 bsh., or 1.800 
162.5 
94.52 
177.5 
17.5 
* “ Proteirf compounds ” form the nutritive portion. 
CEMENT FOR YARDS AND FLOORS. 
A correspondent of the Agricultural Gazette speaks 
of the value of “ tar compost,” so called, for forming 
ground floors of carriage houses, barns, stables, also for 
walks, barnyards, &c., for which purposes it is repre¬ 
sented to be excellent, “ being thoroughly dry, whole¬ 
some, cleanly, smooth, easily repaired, noise’less under 
motion, and inimical to vermin, besides being so very 
cheap, only costing from 3d. to 4|d. [6 to 10 cents] per 
square foot.” 
The writer describes his mode of making such floors 
thus: “ Lay down a good solid concrete of broken bricks 
and tiles or chalk, or both materials mixed together, 
only they should be broken smallish; having made this 
quite level, pour on it coal tar, until the rubble is just 
covered. Then sift through a fine sieve a mixture of 
coal ash and sand, or coal dust and powdered lime, or 
all mixed together, or any one separately, it makes very 
little difference. I prefer quicklime, ashes and sand, in 
equal parts, but I have used lime-dust alone, and found 
it answer, though it is longer drying, and is not quite so 
firm. My plan is to sift on plenty, and have the work 
well rolled or trodden, supplying more siftings as it be¬ 
comes necessary. The proper quantity of siftings will 
work in without any trouble at all, if time be allowed 
and the floor is used. Sometimes two or three coats are 
wanted, and are always best ; often one will do. After 
the first coating upon the rubble, no more is necessary 
to be done either for an extra coat or a repairing coat, 
than to pour down some tar and spread it about with an 
old brush, covering it with siftings. Any laborer can 
mend or even make a floor of this sort. * * * The 
reason I prefer brick rubble to stones is this: I have 
found that by long wear, a small stone, or an edge of a 
piece of a larger size, will work up; whereas broken 
bricks or chalk will saturate partly with tar, and will 
wear down with the rest of the surface. I think the 
value of such a bottom for a stable would be greatly 
enhanced by its impermeability to the drainage from 
animals.” 
Another correspondent of the paper above mentioned 
gives his mode of making a similar cement, as follows: 
“ Two parts sifted coal ashes and one part of quick¬ 
lime, to be thoroughly mixed together in a conical heap; 
then proceed as in mixing up fine mortar, making a hol¬ 
low in the top of the cone, and pouring in gas tar, not 
gas water, or half and half, as it sometimes comes out 
of the reservoir, but the thick tar, and gradually mix as 
you would mix water with the mortar or plaster, until 
the heap is about the consistence of pretty stiff mortar. 
In forming my yards and sheds for cows, and those at¬ 
tached to loose boxes for horses, two years ago, in or¬ 
der that all the fluids should drain towards a tank, I em¬ 
ployed this compound, spread about three-fourths of an 
inch thick, on a surface formed with stone broken very 
small, and a small quantity of fine gravel scattered over 
them and then rolled down, to prevent unnecessary 
waste of the cement. This was laid over, and then 
patted down with an iron shovel. In the course of two 
or three days, just before it gets hard, pass an iron roller 
over it. In the course of a week, if properly done, it 
will be as firm as stone, and not affected either by drouth 
or wet in any degree. My yards have been in use, co¬ 
vered with muck during two winters, and exposed dry 
and clean to the sun during two summers, and I perceive 
no change. * * * I have also used this covering for the 
top of stone walls, for which it answers admirably.” 
USES AND VALUE OF THE MAPLE. 
Our friend Holmes, of the Maine Farmer , furnishes 
an interesting, and (of course,) humcrous article on the 
uses and value of the various kinds of Maple. He states 
that there are ten different species of this tree in the 
United States, five of which flourish in Maine. The 
use of the wood in the manufacture of various articles 
of cabinet ware is well known. The bird’s-eye maple, 
and the curly maple, make some of the handsomest 
veneering of any kind of wood. No better fuel is fur¬ 
nished for our fires than well-seasoned hard, or sugar 
maple. The tree is also one of the most beautiful as an 
ornament, and affords, besides, in its saccharine sap, the 
most agreeable sweet in nature. In view of the vari¬ 
ous uses, and the many comforts which the maple affof-ds, 
Dr. Holmes almost “ bursts into a song.” Hear him:— 
“We were once in a house, not far off, during a severe 
snow-storm. The elements were raging- with their ut¬ 
most fury out of doors, but within we had a summer at¬ 
mosphere, and every thing was as comfortable as an 
evening in June. On looking around we were struck 
with the fact, that much of our comfort at that time 
was founded on maple. A brisk fire of maple wood was 
glowing and crackling on the hearth. The floor of the 
room,—-doors,—sashes,—mantlepiece, and other trim¬ 
mings, were maple;—the chairs were maple,—-the ta¬ 
bles were maple,—and that the sum of our maple com¬ 
forts might be complete, our host brought on some 
maple sugar for our tea, and some excellent maple 
vinegar for our pickles. In his front yard were some 
splendid maple trees, and at a little distance was a beau¬ 
tiful maple grove, which gave a shelter in winter, an 
excellent shade in summer, and a plenty of good sweet 
sap in spring, from which he made his sugar and his 
