THE CULTIVATOR. 
153 
ply matter for various secretions, and to some extent to 
form fat. Mingled with the oil and starch in some vari¬ 
eties of corn, is a third nitrogenized substance, called 
zeine. 
-O-- 
/ 0 \ 
Section of grain of corn. 
f V \ 
\ \ a. Cotyledon. 
( c 
) c \ 
■a j b. Starch. 
) J c. e. Oil—sugar—zeine. 
V U ^ I: / 
S d. Salts of iron. 
In the associated diagrams, several varieties of corn are 
presented, and the relative proportions of the several sub¬ 
stances that compose them. 
Tuscarora corn. Sweet corn. 
& 
Northern yellow corn. Pop corn. 
In the use of these varieties of the same grain, it is easy 
to see that given weights of each might be profitably em¬ 
ployed, if different objects were to be accomplished. 
They could not all be employed to fatten with equal ad¬ 
vantage. 
If it be desired merely to fatten an ox, he should be 
fed with that corn or grain which in 60 lbs. contains the 
most oil. If he is to be worked, he should be fed with 
corn which contains the largest cotyledons, for they con¬ 
tain the capital for labor. If he is to be merely inflated, 
without producing either fat or muscle, let him be fed on 
starch and water, or on a grain whose cotyledons are small, 
and in which the oil is wanting. 
From what has been said, how essential does an analy¬ 
sis of the different kinds of grain become, that it may 
be known, which naturally contains most starch, most oil, 
or most gluten? And that the essentials of soils that are 
to produce those grains, be known, that the deficiencies 
may be supplied or noxious ingredients neutralized? 
In other words, how manifestly important that science 
he interrogated upon subjects of such vital interest to the 
agricultural community, as the raising of stock and the 
growth of crops. 
SOWING CLOVER SEED—CURING HAY WITH 
SALT. 
Messrs. Editors— On reading Mr. R. L. Pell’s letter 
in the Cultivator for March, (page 97.) I take up my pen 
to show that some of his opinions are wrong, and some 
of his practices are actually cruel. First, he says, “when 
preparing meadows or upland, I usually seed on wheat, 
sowing in the full half a bushel of Timothy seed to the 
acre, which is limed at the rate of three hundred bushels, 
and the following spring, after a moderate fall of snow, 
sow one bushel of clover seed,” &c. Now, if Mr. P 
means one bushel of clover seed to the acre, (and the let¬ 
ter reads so,) this is altogether wrong; as half a bushel 
of Timothy seed, and 5 pounds of clover seed, would be 
sufficient for any land I ever saw in this country. After 
telling the time he cu(s his grass, he says, “ the grass 
thus cut is drawn immediately into the barn, andon-c bushel 
of fine salt spread by hand over each alternate layer com¬ 
posing a ton.” Now I maintain that the quantity of salt 
he puts on actually punishes the poor animals that have 
to eat the hay, in a cruel manner. Yet eat it they must, 
if they have nothing else, or starve. Some 14 yearsago, 
I read in some paper, this mode of curing hay, and I 
tried the experiment by commencing to feed 612 sheep 
with hay so cured. It took me all of an hour and a half, 
each day, to pump water for them, and then, after drink¬ 
ing till they were like to burst, they would, in cold days, 
* Dr. Jackson’s paper before the Assoe Amer. Geologists and 
Naturalists 
stand and shiver for hours; and I believe, if I had not 
changed their feed to something else half of the time, 
that so much salt would have killed a number of them. 
I make no doubt that Mr. Pell is honest in his inten¬ 
tions. I am altogether unacquainted with the gentleman; 
but I think he must be one of those farmers that tell men 
to do so and so, but who neither helps do it, nor sees that 
it is done, else he would see the impropriety of sowing 
a bushel of clover seed to the acre, and salting his hay so 
unmercifully. 
I will give you my mode of curing hay. When the 
crop is heavy, I spread it as soon as cut, if the weather is 
good, and let it lie until it is pretty well wilted, then cock 
it, and let it cure in cocks, only turning them over to let 
them have an hour or two of sunshine before loading 
them. If the crop should be light, I let it wilt in swath. 
When drawing in, I put about a quart of salt to a wag¬ 
on-load, which is sufficient salt for the sheep while eat¬ 
ing the hay. John Johnston. 
P. S. I received Mr. Pell’s letters in answer to my in¬ 
quiries about charcoal, for which I return my thanks. If 
I live, I will send him some seed wheat of both kinds, in 
time for sowing. J. J 
New Geneva, March, 1844. 
STRONG BOARD FENCE. 
Tne common board fence, made by naling horizontal 
boards to posts, is often broken by the failure of the nails. 
This difficulty is partially obviated by nailing an upright 
face to the post, consisting of a piece of board of a length 
equal to the height of the post, outside of the horizontal 
boards. A method, scarcely costing any more, by which 
the strength and durability of the fence is admirably im¬ 
proved, consists in placing small pieces or blocks a few 
inches square, in the spaces, on the post, between the 
boards. The whole thus forms a smooth surface, to 
which the facing board is fastened, and the fence boards 
thus so completely secured to their place, that their re¬ 
moval is rendered impossible, while the fence remains 
upon the post. The blocks thus used for filling up, may 
consist of small fragments which are otherwise wasted. 
The above figure represents this mode of construction; 
the right hand post showing the blocks in place before 
the facing is nailed upon them, and the left hand, the 
whole completed. J. J. T. 
PROFITS OF POULTRY. 
Messrs. Editors— Having previously kept only the 
common kind of fowls, Mr. R. procured last year, a pah 
of crested Polanders, making, with those we before had, 
28 fowls. We killed some occasionally, till the chickens 
were large enough to be eaten, when we had 20 old ones 
left. We raised over 100 chickens—half and full bloods 
together. Our early pullets commenced laying in the 
fall—none of them wanted to set. According to our ac¬ 
count kept, we sold from Jan. 1, 1843, to Jan. 1, 1844,. 
1,866 eggs, and received $19 for them. We kept no ac¬ 
count of food consumed, but gave a liberal supply. 
Perhaps I ought to apologize for thus troubling you;, 
but we have had your Cultivator so long in our family,, 
that it scarcely entered my mind while writing, that per¬ 
sonally we are strangers. Yours respectfully, 
Prt£dence Reynolds. 
Stanford, Ct., Feb. 24, 1844. 
