226 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
year from planting, July 15th and Sept. 1st, I obtained 
four pounds of good well-dried hay, better I think than 
good clover; which would be 5 tons and 1616 lbs. the 
acre. It is, I think, after the roots become considerable 
in the ground, capable of producing larger crops of hay 
than this. But let others try it for themselves, root and 
herb; and tell the world the results, as I have done. 
Comfrey needs no tilling except the digging of the root 
and re-planting the said seed-caps for another crop 
once in two or three years. Whatever grass or weeds 
may grow with it, should be let alone, till mowed with 
the herb for hay. Ezekiel Rich. 
Troy, N. H., Jan.. 1844. 
CULTURE AND USE OF PUMPKINS. 
Mr. Tucker— I have now read your excellent “ Cul¬ 
tivator” for some years, and feel bound to make to you a 
frank acknowledgment that the benefit I have received 
from it, has been on a moderate calculation fifty times 
the amount of subscription. I know that I am within 
the mark. I will also add that I have been a considera¬ 
ble planter for twenty-five years, and continue to get 
something that is highly beneficial yet, from every num¬ 
ber. In your No. 5, May, 1844, I find some judicious 
remarks regarding the Pumpkin crop. For this plant our 
climate and soils (lime) are singularly favorable. Lime¬ 
stone prairie- soil, excellent—lime-stone woodland supe¬ 
rior. Our best cultivators of the pumpkin, plant them 
eight feet apart, one vine in the hill, in the intermediate 
space between two hills of corn, four and a half feet 
apart. Break the ground up twice before planting, du¬ 
ring frost if possible—one plowing and two good hoe- 
ings makes a fine crop. When at maturity any young 
Miss might step from pumpkin to pumpkin, over the 
ground. A shovel-full of ashes thrown on each hill after 
planting, is excellent. We have no insect that disturbs 
them. A shovel-full of manure on the ashes superior. 
As regards using or feeding. Using in any way, or to 
any animal, without boiling, or better, steaming, is abso¬ 
lute waste—and then using them alone, another waste. A 
short process with us is to boil or steam the pumpkin— 
let them get cold —-put some shelled corn (yellow) into a 
cask of water until it swells—with a paddle or common 
pounder, mix the corn and pumpkins together. This for 
hogs; with peas the same way. For hogs, pour the water 
over the mess— so save all. For steers and milch cows 
cut up oats, or rye, or rice, or barley, in the sheaf, fine; 
mix as before mentioned—salt moderately the mass. 
Chemical science and common observation has settled, 
that by some rather hidden cause, in a number of cases, 
two vegetable substances, containing apparently little nu¬ 
triment separate, by amalgamation, after boiling or steam¬ 
ing, produce a singular nutritive result. Turncps are a 
long time fattening, if ever, a beef. Cotton seed, almost 
all oil —about the same. Boil them both —mix together— 
nothing better or quicker to fatten, or mak efine beef. 
A steer or hog with us, will starve to death on Irish 
potatoes alone. Boil them, and he rapidly fattens. 
Mixed with meal or peas, also boiled, and nothing supe¬ 
rior to fatten—from well tried experiment much bet¬ 
ter than either separately used, paying with ample inter¬ 
est for all the trouble and expense. 
Now for keeping pumpkins until June, as we do. 
Build under an open shed a rail-pen—(rails chestnut, one 
set will do for tweny years) lay the first bottom rails 12 
inches from the ground—spread pumpkins so as not to 
touch; scatter dry shucks amongst them and next the 
rails, loosely—then over them lay rails 9 inches apart, so 
as not to rest on the layer of pumpkins; then more pump¬ 
kins—another layer and shucks loosely as before, and 
then rails, &c., until the pen is as full and high as you 
wish. In gathering, cut them oflf the vines, leaving a 
piece of stem; handle so as not to give the slighest bruise; 
haul for this purpose, on a low-wheeled wagon. 
By following these directions, the full and great value 
of pumpkins will be discovered; and further, that whe¬ 
ther as regards the health of the animal fed, or the econ¬ 
omy of feeding, they are an extremely valuable crop. 
Pumpkins and Irish potatoes together, as above, a supe¬ 
rior feed—excellent for poultry and pigs. Almost the 
same theory will apply to turneps. Sprinkle clean hicko¬ 
ry ashes freely over both messes. I keep sifted young 
hickory ashes always by me, like salt. I know from full 
and fair trial the value, not only as regards rendering 
food to animals nourishing, but equally as segards pre¬ 
serving their health and vigor. 
South Alabama, May 18, 1844. John Williams. 
GREEN CORN IN WINTER. 
Editors of the Cultivator— Will you or some of 
your numerous correspondents, have the goodness to 
make known, through the columes of your valuable pa¬ 
per, the best method of preparing green corn for winter 
use? In the month of January last, I purchased in Phi¬ 
ladelphia a small quantity, put up in a round tin box, 6 
inches long and 8 inches in circumference, that required 
no other preparation for the table than merely to be heat¬ 
ed and seasoned to the taste. It was in all respects ex¬ 
actly like green corn fresh from the stalk, in August—a 
most incomparable luxury. Any instructions in this or 
other methods of preparing the article for winter use* 
would doubtless confer a favor on a large proportion of 
your readers. D. H. M. 
Norristown, Pa., June 19, 1844. 
Those who have had experience in preserving corn in 
the manner above stated, will confer a favor by giving 
us the particulars of the mode.— Eds. 
HISTORY OF THE DRAG RAKE. 
Judge Larrabe of Shoreham, Vt. made and used a rude 
one with a straight handle 10 or 12 years, and it was 
hardly noticed. But Coat’s patent revolving man rake > 
fully proved the utility of the drag rake, and several were 
made in this vicinity. One with a long crotched and 
bowed handle made by Cyrus Barnum in 1837, was pre¬ 
ferred. The next and next succeeding year, A. F. Cram 
of this town, added the stakes to the head to keep the 
hay from sliding over, and brought it to its present 
shape. He made about 100 of these, and moved away. 
They were well liked, & in 1842, were much inquired for, 
but none were in market. In 1843, I, in connexion with 
a neighbor, made and sold over 600. As an evidence of 
their credit where known, I state, that we retailed to the 
farmers of this town over 50 last season, at $1,50 each. 
Mr. Cram attempted, but failed to get it patented, (but not 
because he was not entitled to a patent.) It is however, 
known in this vicinity by his name. Clark Rich. 
Shoreham, May, 1844. 
DURAND CORN—EARLY RIPENING. 
Messrs. Editors —For the benefit of the readers of 
the Cultivator, I will say that in 1842, a frost occurred 
here on the night of June 10th, which cut down most of 
the corn on low grounds. Capt. Yose, of this town, had 
a piece of corn near the river, which was all cut down. 
He waited some eight or ten days to have it start again, 
but it did not, owing probably to the germ of the grain 
having been frozen. He plowed the field again, and 
came to me and obtained half a bushel of seed corn, 
which he planted on the 20th of June. The corn soon 
came up, and grew rapidly, and Capt. Y. informed me 
that he had a good crop, with little or no soft corn among 
it. L. Durand 
Derby, Conn., June, 1844. 
WHITE WILD GEESE. 
Messrs. Editors —In your May No., I noticed a par¬ 
agraph in reference to wild geese having been seen on 
the coast of Massachusetts, which were entirely white. 
I had before heard of the existence of such geese. A 
man by the name of Cooper, who some years since was 
in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company, told me he 
had frequently seen such geese in the high northern re¬ 
gions—that in their winter migrations they generally 
passed down the Pacific coast, which was the reason why 
