THE CULTIVATOR. 
15 
GOLDSBOROUGH’S CORN SHELLER & HllSKER.—(Fig. 2.) 
The above figure represents Goldsborougfy’s patent 
cylindrical Corn Sheller and Husker, for horse power, 
which is worthy the attention of extensive corn grow¬ 
ers. They are capable of shelling 130 bushels per hour, 
and are warranted to shell 1200 bushels per day, with¬ 
out extra exertion; they break no corn, and leave none 
on the cob. With this machine, about half the above 
quantity may be husked and shelled in a day. They are 
manufactured by R. Sinclair, Jr. & Co., Baltimore, 
and for sale at $45,00 and $35,00, according to size. 
SOWING CLOVER SEED IN ORCHARDS—COAL ASHES. 
Messrs. Editors— It has been remarked by some, 
that clover seed should never be sown in orchards; that 
so long as the clover remained, the trees would yield 
no fruit. Now I would thank you to insert in the next 
no. of the Cultivator, your opinion, or that of some of 
your correspondents, upon the subject, whether red and 
white are both injurious, and if both, which the most 
so? Likewise whether the ashes of anthracite coal con¬ 
tain any nutritive substances, or are in any way benefi¬ 
cial to land? A Subscriber. 
We are aware that the cultivation of clover in orchards 
has been condemned by many, but we think without 
reason. If clover is allowed to ripen its seed, it produ¬ 
ces on soils the same exhausting effects that other 
plants, the grain ones for instance, do, when their seeds 
are ripened on the land, and probably no more so. The 
ripening of grain seeds, is however, usually preceded 
and followed by the plow, which has a tendency to coun¬ 
teract the exhausting effect, a practice to which clover 
land is not as commonly subjected. That clover will 
not prevent orchards from bearing, we have the most 
conclusive evidence. Our orchards have been always 
subjected to a clover rotation, and without injury to the 
fruit. The present year our orchard is in clover, and 
was mowed; and it is believed it would be difficult to 
find finer apples of the several varieties grown in it, or 
trees more productive than a large part of them have 
been the past season. On soils much reduced, it is pos¬ 
sible clover might subtract something from the nutri¬ 
ment, otherwise drawn by this tree, but no more than 
by other plants, if so much. 
Anthracite ashes are valuable as a top dressing /or 
grass, or applied to plowed lands intended for crops, or 
when placed around trees as a preventive of remain. 
They should always be carefully preserved, and applied 
by the farmer where most wanted. With compost ma¬ 
nure, or swamp muck, they render essential service. 
The term “ nutritive,” is not generally applied to ma¬ 
nures of this class; they are more properly “ stimula¬ 
ting,” like other mineral manures. 
The mahogany tree is full grown in 200 years. 
DIGGING POTATOES—CORN SMUT—PLASTER. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —There is quite a dif¬ 
ference of opinion among farmers, as to the best time 
of digging potatoes. Some prefer digging them soon 
after they are ripe; others prefer to let them stand in 
the ground, as long as they can and be secured safely. 
My own opinion is, that if allowed to remain in the 
ground a length of time after they are ripe, they will, 
when dug and carried into the celler, prove better, and 
their flavor superior to those dug as soon as ripe. Ex¬ 
posure to the sun and air, soon spoils potatoes, and the 
sooner they are placed in the cellar after being dug, the 
better they will be for eating. We should be glad to 
learn your opinion on this subject. 1 
I have noticed that there is more or less smut on corn 
every year; and I have been led to think what could be 
the occasion of smut; and does it increase more in wet 
weather than dry? There is more or less of it i all 
seasons. Will the taint of smutted seed corn, if plant¬ 
ed, cause the grown crop to be smutty? 2 
How will sowing plaster in the fall, on irrigated mea¬ 
dows, operate? We have had as good returns from 
plaster sown on low natural meadows, as upon upland; 
but never have sown it in the fall of the year. There 
would be an advantage in fall sowing over spring sow¬ 
ing, were the effect equal, as farmers have less to do in 
the former season than in the latter. But the difference 
in effect on the crop at fall, over spring sowing, we 
have not learned. 3 Levi Durand. 
Derby, Conn., 1843. 
1. Potatoes may be dug with safety at any time after 
they are ripe, of which the decay of the vine is the best 
indication; but they will continue to improve, if suf¬ 
fered to remain in the ground, unless, as is sometimes 
the case with very early ripe potatoes, and as we have 
seen this year, they commence sprouting, an indication 
that their hibernation, or the period of rest in plants, has 
passed. Not only the sun and air, but even light, is ve¬ 
ry injurious to potatoes, which will be better for being 
kept in cool dark cellars. If a cellar is light, covering 
the potatoes with turf, is an excellent plan. Potatoes 
should be dry when put in the cellar, and then the dirt 
that is upon them is beneficial rather than otherwise. 
Potatoes this year are rotting extensively, because they 
did not mature, but rather died from drouth. This is 
particularly the case we learn with that fine potatoe, the 
pinkeye. 
2. The fungus on corn, like the smut on wheat, oats, 
&c. is a species of Uredo, and corn infected with the 
smutty particles, is much more likely to produce smut 
again. That smutty wheat, if sown, will in most cases 
produce smutty wheat for a crop, is certain; and as bri¬ 
ning and liming wheat will kill the germinating pow¬ 
er of wheat smut, it is probable the same process 
would exterminate it in corn. The trial would be well 
worth making. Wet seasons, if hot, are most favorable 
to all species of fungus or uredo. 
3. We live in a district where plaster abounds on eve 
ry side of us, and is used extensively by nearly every 
farmer, but we kno*v of no instance where it has been 
used on irrigated meadows, and the opinion is general 
that plaster is d little if any use on low moist lands of 
any kind. Piaster, with us, is sown at all times of the 
year, as b<*st suits the convenience of the farmer; though 
the time preferred is April or May, when the wheat and 
clover have fairly begun to put forth their leaves. We 
haws known it used with good effect on summer fal¬ 
lows; sown on wheat in the fall; on wheat and clover, 
or dry meadows and pasture, in the spring, but rarely 
on low wet pastures or meadows. If any of our read¬ 
ers have experimented with plaster, in the way sug¬ 
gested by Mr. D., they will confer a favor by informing 
us of the result. 
Great Berkshires. —In looking over the list of pre¬ 
miums awarded at (he late meeting of the Rhode Island 
Ag. Society, we noticed the following:—“Messrs. A. & 
W. Sprague sent to the show two very fat pigs, about 
two and a half years old, supposed to be nearly pure 
BerVo^res. These animals weigh about twelve hundred 
lbs, alive.” 
