THE CULTIVATOR. 
45 
field at intervals of sixteen to eighteen inches; after 
which the seed is sown by hand, and a harrow passed 
lengthwise of the furrows, which draws the wheat into 
the furrows, and buries it with so much nicety that it 
looks as if it was sown in rows. Grain sown in either 
of these ways, stands the winter better than if sown 
broadcast. The rows of grain being in a small hollow, 
the rains instead of washing the earth away from the 
roots, and leaving them to perish by exposure to the 
winds and frost, are constantly bringing a little more earth 
to the plant, which enables it to retain its hold, throw 
out more lateral roots, and push vigorously forward with 
the first favorable weather. 
Mr. Noble uses as much seed as if he sowed broadcast. 
He sows two bushels per acre, which he thinks is pre¬ 
ferable to a less quantity, for soils of medium richness. 
The richer the land, the less seed is required; because 
plants tiller out or spread in rich land, more than they do 
in poor. The yield of Mr. N.’s wheat is usually about 
25 bushels per acre. In 1842, he had one field of 40 
acres, that turned out an average of 35 bushels. 
Mr. Noble keeps no more horses and cattle than are 
necessary to carry on the farming operations—-that is, 
to perform the work and supply meat and dairy produc¬ 
tions for home consumption. By wintering all his stock 
in a great degree on straw, (which he takes great care to 
save in good order,) with roots and some shorts, or meal, 
he is saved the necessity of appropriating a large quan¬ 
tity of land to meadow, and the expense of making a 
great deal of hay. But his animals are all well sheltered 
and taken care of, and are, though with moderate ex¬ 
pense of feed, kept in fine order. 
Mr. Noble’s implements are all of the best kinds, and 
when not in use, are put under shelter from the weather. 
His harrows in particular, as well as the tools we have 
mentioned, are much better than are commonly used; 
and in the construction and use of this implement, it is 
believed the English are generally ahead of us. Many 
of our farmers make their harrows, especially for clear 
land and for seeding, too heavy. The work would be 
better, more easily and more expeditiously done, by using 
a lighter harrow, with more slender and sharp teeth. 
Mr. Noble pays particular attention to the substitution 
of machinery and the labor of animals, for that of men, 
wherever practicable. In the adoption and prosecution 
of all his plans, profit , ultimate or immediate, is his pri¬ 
mary object. Chimerical or visionary schemes on the 
one hand, and the errors of antiquated habits on the oth¬ 
er, he alike endeavors to avoid. With a far-reaching 
glance, he clearly sees that the true course by which to 
attain the desired end, is the adoption of all real improve¬ 
ment —the observance of system and order—doing every 
thing in the right time and in the right manner. He su¬ 
perintends his business in person —constantly exercising a 
vigilant oversight of all, remembering the Prompter’s 
adage, “ the eye of the master will do more work than 
Ms hands 
VALUE OF TIMOTHY HAY. 
Mr. Lewis Sanders, a very distinguished farmer of 
Kentucky, says, through the Louisville Journal, that he 
believes Timothy hay (Phleum pratense,) is of little or 
no value, that sheep and cattle will die if fed alone on 
that kind of hay—that it was remarked by Thomas 
Gough, a noted cattle breeder, u that he would prefer 
giving his cattle dry leaves in winter, to Timothy hay” 
—that Gen. Jas. Shelby, another noted stock breeder, is 
nearly of the same opinion. We think this rather too 
severe a denunciation of Timothy hay, even for the lati¬ 
tude of Kentucky—at the same time, we are of the opin¬ 
ion that many persons much overrate the value of this 
hay. It seems necessary that Timothy should be cut at a 
critical time, or its value is much diminished. If cut too 
early, it is light and chalfy; if cut too late, it is hard and 
strawy. It is very common to let it stand till it is dead 
ripe, and those who practice this, contend that it is the 
best mode; first, because it requires less making, and 
second, that great benefit is derived from the seed. Ta¬ 
vern keepers sometimes prefer the “ ripe” hay, because 
it “ spends well.” Horses will eat hard hay better than 
cattle and sheep.—their jaws and teeth seem better calcu¬ 
lated for grinding —consequently, horses will get along 
with Timothy hay that was dead before it was cut, bet¬ 
ter than other stock; but even they find living on that 
alone , a pretty “ poor business.” But if Timothy is cut 
exactly in the right time, when it is nearest in full bloom, 
and well cured, we have found it to make hay which 
both cattle and sheep eat very well, and which seems to 
be quite nutritious. 
EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON VEGETATION. 
A REQUEST. 
It is well known that one of the effects of an approach 
to or receding from the equator, is a corresponding in¬ 
crease or retardation of the coming forward of vegeta¬ 
tion, particularly its blossoming. Several efforts have 
been made to ascertain how far such influence of tempe 
rature, as developed in successive latitudes, extended; 
but in countries where a meridian line of some twenty 
degrees would pass several kingdoms, sufficient unity of 
action could scarcely he expected to secure very useful 
results. Another difficulty in the way, is finding any plant 
or tree which will thrive under the equator and in the 
latitude of 50° or 60°. We are not aware that more than 
one attempt has been made in the U. States, to turn this 
scale of nature's graduation to account, though the extent 
of a meridian line wholly within our own territory,would 
seem to be very favorable for such an examination. A few 
years since, Prof. Bigelow of Boston, entered upon the 
task by means of correspondence, and the results as ob¬ 
tained by him are given in an ingenious although imper¬ 
fect memoir in the 4th vol. of the American Academy. 
Among the trees, the period of the flowering of which 
was noticed, the peach tree was the most extensively re¬ 
turned, and it may be remarked that this tree is perhaps 
better suited than any other for this purpose, it flowering 
in the open air from the equator to at least the forty-fifth 
degree of latitude. The following are some of the re¬ 
sults obtained from this tree: 
Place of Notice. 
Lat. 
Lone;. 
Peach in j 
Blots 
Fort Claiborne, Ala.* • •• 
• 31° 
50' 
87 £ 
’50' 
March 4. 
Charleston, S. C.,. 
44 
80 
39 
*{ 
6. 
Richmond, Va., ........ 
40 
77 
50 
i. 
23. 
Lexington, Ky.,. 
* 38 
06 
85 
08 
April 
6. 
Baltimore, Md., ........ 
21 
77 
48 
u 
9. 
Philadelphia, Pa.,. 
• 39 
56 
75 
8 
u 
15. 
42 
74 
9 
a 
21. 
Boston, Mass., •«• *. 
23 
70 
52 
May 
9. 
Albany, N. Y.,-...... 
39 
73 
30 
u 
12. 
Brunswick, Me.,. 
53 
69 
55 
u 
16. 
Montreal, L. C.,....... * 
• 45 
73 
73 
11 
• i 
21. 
From this table, and from other evidences, Prof. Bige¬ 
low infers with much probability, that the difference 
caused by temperature in the north and south of the U. 
States, is at least two and a half months; a most impor¬ 
tant fact, and which does not seem to be generally taken 
into the estimate of the agricultural capabilities of the 
respective sections. Longitude appeared to produce Jit- 
tie difference in the results, hut if the country west of 
the Rocky mountains were to be taken into the account, 
such would not be the case, it being ascertained that the 
average temperature at the mouth of the Columbia, does 
not vary far from that of Georgia, though many degrees 
to the north. It appears that in the year alluded to by 
Prof. B. that at Valencia in Spain the peach blossomed 
on the 19th of March; the apple tree at London, May 
8th; and the cherry and pear at Geneva in Switzerland, 
April 3. 
We should esteem it a great favor if such of our friends 
and correspondents as keep floral calendars, or such re¬ 
cords as enable them to determine such matters, would 
inform us of the time of the blossoming of the peach or 
apple; the average times of planting corn, and its ri 
pening; the sowing of wheat and its harvesting. If this 
could be generally done, and the information so embo 
died collected in tables, many useful inferences in refe 
rence to our climate, &c. might be deduced. 
Mr. D. T. Whitmore, near Williamsburg, Va., says 
that he has a piece of meadow land so completely covered 
with peppermint that nothing else will grow, and he 
wishes to know what would be the best course to extir¬ 
pate it. Will some one who has had experience Ou tile 
subject answer the inquiry? 
