78 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
trowel, and when sufficiently covered is drawn forward- 
leaving the short rod attached to the cord a short distance 
in the rear. As the work advances, and the cement sets, 
which, if good, is very quickly done, the short rod is 
drawn forward with the effect of rendering the bore of 
the pipe uniform in its size, perfectly smooth, and free 
from every thing to interrupt the flow of the water. Ei¬ 
ther of these methods, with good materials, will produce 
an aqueduct sound, free, and which in a few weeks will 
become almost as hard as sandstone. Much, however, is 
depending on the thoroughness with which the mortar, or 
cement, is worked around the rods that form the bore. 
Care must be taken not to allow the rods to remain too 
long before they are drawn forward, as the cement, when 
partially set, may in that way be cracked and injured. 
Should such cracks occur, the work may be made safe by 
immediately covering the place with fresh cement. 
The cement should be used as fast as prepared, or a 
firm pipe need not be expected. If kept dry during the 
construction, the work will be the better, for though such 
cement will in time harden under water, dryness greatly 
facilitates that process. If necessary, water may be al¬ 
lowed to flow through the pipe as fast as constructed; but 
it is best to avoid it if possible, and in no event must any 
pressure be allowed, as that would certainly destroy the 
work. The pipe should remain from six weeks to two 
months, before it is filled with water, or pressure per¬ 
mitted to take place. A piece of lead pipe of suitable 
bore, should be used to connect the cement pipe with the 
hydrant or pentstock, as without such precaution frost or 
accidental concussion might fracture the cement. If it 
be necessary for any part of the pipe to sustain a greater 
pressure than another, that part should receive a second 
layer of cement, well worked upon the first. 
When the pipe is laid, it should be uncovered a few 
days to set, ami then fine earth should be thrown upon it, 
with water to dampen it, so as to have it pack close a- 
bout the pipe. At first the filling of the trench should 
proceed carefully; but the whole should be packed close, 
so as to prevent all danger of breaking. As to the ex¬ 
pense of cement pipe, we have the authority of a man 
well acquainted with the business, for saying that of one 
inch bore aqueduct, he can lay 10 rods per day, and 13 
of three-fourths inch per day. Lime of good quality, can 
be procured for 16 cents per bushel at the mills, and al¬ 
lowing 6 cents per bushel for the sand, if the work was 
charged at $1,50 per day, it would be about 12 cts. per 
rod, and the expense of the material and laying the pipe, 
some 37 cts. per rod. The cost of the trench would de¬ 
pend on the size and depth, and of that, each can judge 
for himself. One dollar a rod for the whole expense 
would be a liberal estimate. Lead pipe would cost from 
$1,50 to $1,75, according to size, and wood could not be 
afforded as low as cement. We think no farmer who 
wishes to construct an aqueduct, will regret that he has 
made choice of water lime instead of lead or wood; and 
every man who has not water convenient on his farm, 
will do well to see whether he cannot obtain it in this 
way, at an expense bearing no comparison with the be¬ 
nefits that would accrue. 
VIRGINIA FARMING. 
The valley of the Shenandoah, between the Blue 
Ridge and the North Mountain, contains the finest farm¬ 
ing district in Virginia, and is exceeded by few, if any, 
sections of the United States in beauty and fertility. The 
soil is generally a strong limestone one, admirably 
adapted to the production of wheat and corn, and favor¬ 
able to the perfection of all the fruits cultivated in that 
latitude. In a late no. of the Farmer's Monthly Visitor, 
we find an interesting account, furnished by the Rev. O. 
B. Brown, of the farm of Col. Joseph Tuley, near Win¬ 
chester, the principal point of trade in the Valley. It is 
a beautiful domain of about 1,000 acres, of which about 
800 acres are under cultivation. The house is a splendid 
mansion, 75 by 60 feet, built in the best manner, with suit¬ 
able out houses, green house, house for laborers, &c. The 
green house has one of the choicest collections of rare 
and beautiful exotics to be found in the country. “Here 
are seen the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley, 
in their native dress, as imported from Syria; the orange 
and lemon trees, loaded perpetually with fruit in their 
various stages, from the opening blossom to the full ripe 
orange and lemon. The bulrush of the Nile, such as 
formed the ark of the infant Moses, and the rich flowers 
among which it grew, together with plants from every 
quarter of the world, are all flourishing here.” 
But our principal object in alluding to this paper is to 
notice the course of culture pursued on this farm, Col. 
Tuley being considered the best farmer of the neigh¬ 
borhood. Col. T. pursues what, is called the five years 
shift system, and is as follows : He takes a field two 
years in clover, and turns over the sod in the month of 
August, or early in September. From the 5th to the 
15th of Oct. he sows a bushel and a half of wheat to the 
acre, and harrows it in. After the wheat is cut, the field 
lies, and becomes covered with a thick and strong 
growth of rag-weed. In the following spring he turns 
it up with the plow, and plants to corn before the mid¬ 
dle of April. The corn is planted 4 feet apart each 
way, and eight or ten kernels in a hill. The cultivation 
is principally done with a plow, beginning as soon as 
the corn is fairly up, and plowing it both ways about four 
times in the season. At the second plowing, the hoe fol¬ 
lows, and the corn is thinned to two stalks in the hill. 
The hoe is seldom used but once, and the corn is hilled 
no more than the plow will do it. When the corn is so 
ripe that it will mature in the stack, it is cut, and the 
land immediately put into wheat. Sometimes he sows 
on the seed and plows it in; sometimes he first plows, 
and then sows and harrows in the seed; being governed 
by the state of the ground. After the wheat is sown, 
the field is seeded to clover. After the wheat is harvest¬ 
ed, nothing is permitted to go upon the ground to dis¬ 
turb the young clover. The field then lies two years in 
clover, when wheat again follows. In the spring of 
each year, half a hushel to an acre, of plaster, is sown 
on the clover, and heavy crops of grass are in this way 
secured. In this course of farming, he once raised from 
two acres of land 80 bushels of wheat; from a field of 
60 acres, he averaged more than 31 bushels per acre; and 
from a field of 30 acres 65 bushels of shelled corn to 
the acre. He considers the clover and the plaster as the 
principal means of improving the soil; yet he is very 
careful to allow no manure to be wasted. On the con¬ 
trary, he makes large quantities of it annually, which he 
applies to the highest parts of his fields, turning it under 
with the plow, which he prefers to using it as a top dres¬ 
sing. 
Col. Tuley keeps a valuable stock of from 15 to 20 
milch cows; from 80 to 100 hogs; and a flock of about 
100 sheep. In his park about 300 yards from the house, 
he has nine or ten elks of the large Missouri breed, and 
about 50 beautiful fallow deer. The venison furnished 
by these, is very superior. The garden contains about 
3 acres; and has beds of fourteen kinds of strawberries, 
besides raspberries, currants, several kinds of grapes, 
&c. &c. His orchards are extensive, embracing apples* 
peaches, pears, cherries, damsons, plums, quinces, apri¬ 
cots of the best varieties, and indeed most other fruits 
the climate is capable of producing. In short, Col. 
Tuley's farm exhibits in all its parts, much that is 
worthy of admiration; and in the dwelling is to be found 
that urbanity and hospitality which forms a distinguish¬ 
ing trait of the Virginia farmer. 
cc LOWELL OFFERING.” 
This publication is et written, edited and published, by 
female operatives, employed in the mills,” at Lowell, 
Mass. If other proofs were wanting, we have in the 
pages of this periodical, abundant evidence that bodily 
labor is not incompatible with the culture of the mind. 
Some of the articles written by these factory girls who 
work in the mills twelve hours a day, (which, by the 
way, we think is rather too much,) will compare favor¬ 
ably with the written productions of any women in the 
land! 
The work is edited by Misses Curtis & Farley, and 
published monthly at $1 a year. 
