THE CULTIVATOR. 
239 
CLEAN CULTURE 
It is a fact that ground which is kept from vegetation 
of any kind will not dry up so much as that on which a 
crop is grown. There are many who doubt this, but if 
they would make a proper examination, their doubts will 
be removed. Make an experiment—take a piece of 
ground in the garden, and hoe it over every day, or of¬ 
ten enough to keep all kinds of vegetation from starting. 
Sow another piece adjoining, with grass, or some kind of 
grain. After a drouth of two or three weeks, examine 
both pieces by digging into them with a spade or shovel. 
The earth of the grass or grain plat, will be found dry 
like ashes, to the depth perhaps of a foot or more. The 
other plat will be dried in only two or three inches—be¬ 
low that it will be found quite moist. Examine the 
ground in an orchard in a dry time, and if it is not natu¬ 
rally a wet piece of ground, it will be found dry to a 
great depth. If there is a tree in your corn-field, see if 
the ground is not much dryer near it than on similar 
ground away from the reach of its roots. The fact is, the 
roots of vegetation bring up the moisture from a greater 
depth below the surface, than it could be done by simple 
evaporation. This maybe known by noticing how much 
more moisture is required to support a crop of corn when 
the stalks are nearly full grown, than in its earliest stages. 
Now, from all this we deduce an argument in favor of 
clean culture —that is, a culture which permits no useless 
vegetation to grow among cultivated crops; the advan¬ 
tage of which would be to give the crop the whole ben¬ 
efit of the moisture and other nutriment of the soil, in¬ 
stead of giving a portion to the worthless weeds. 
In a dry time, we frequently hear farmers say—“it 
will not do to work my corn or potatoes, they need all 
the grass and weeds to keep the ground from drying up.” 
Now, this, as we have shown, is all a mistake—the grass 
and weeds make the ground dry faster and deeper. But 
it is alledged that corn has been injured by plowing or 
working it when the weather was very dry. We admit 
that this effect may have followed under particular cir¬ 
cumstances. That is to say, if corn gets too large before 
it is worked, injury may be done. The reason is, that the 
roots have become extended, and the plow cuts off' so 
large a portion of them, that the remainder cannot sup¬ 
ply the stalk, and it soon withers. This is the way the 
“fired” corn, sometimes spoken of at the south and west, 
is generally produced. But it is only when the roots of 
corn have become widely extended, and are torn and mu¬ 
tilated in the operation of working it, that any such con¬ 
sequence follows. If the crop is worked, as it ought to 
be while it is small, no fears of injury need be enter¬ 
tained. 
GOOD SHEEP. 
Merinoes.— We copy the annexed notice of the pro¬ 
duce of a select flock of Merinoes, owned by one of the 
Vice-Presidents of our State Ag. Society, from the Court- 
land County Whig. They must be good sheep surely to 
produce fleeces worth $2,40 each. Such sheep ought to 
be exhibited at our State Fair. Will Col. Randall please 
send us samples of the wool ? 
“ Profitable Sheep. —Henry S. Randall, Esq. of 
Cortland, has a flock including lambs, of 60 full blooded 
merino sheep. Their fleeces this season averaged a 
trifle over 5 lbs. of thoroughly washed clean wool, en¬ 
tirely destitute of any gum excepting the dark crust 
on the extremities of a few of them, and this wool sold 
readily to Dickinson & Hibbard of that place, for 48 cts. 
per lb. cash. There were no wethers in the flock and 
there were but two bucks to swell the average. 
“ A smaller and exceedingly choice lot of yearlings 
and two year old ewes fleeces, averaged the extraordina¬ 
ry amount of 5 lbs. 10 oz. to the fleece. A two year old 
buck (from which more than half a pound had been ta¬ 
ken in samples) sheared 9 lbs. 12 oz. We understand 
these sheep have been selected with much care from the 
best flocks in this state and New England, and are not 
probably surpassed or hardly equalled by any flock in the 
United States. Their winter keep (a question of some 
interest in connexion with such an enormous product of 
wool) we learn on inquiry to have been as follows :—60 
sheep fed hay morning and night—at noon daily received 
three bundles of oats and barley until Christmas, after 
which they received four bundles of oats. They received 
no hay at noon throughout the winter. The grain was 
cut greenish, and was considerably shrunken. This, with 
a comfortable shed and plenty of pure water, constituted 
their entire keep. Mr. Randall reared 102 per cent of 
lambs! We wish more of our farmers possessed such 
sheep.” 
Leicester Sheep. —The Delaware Republican gives 
the following account of the clip of the celebrated flock 
of Leicester or Bakewell sheep, owned by Major Philip 
Reybold, of that state. From all we have heard, we 
are led to believe that this flock of sheep is one of the 
the most valuable in the country. We should be glad to 
have from Major R. an account of their blood, and his 
mode of breeding and management. Will he not send a 
sample of his flock to our next fair at Poughkeepsie? 
“ Last week, we learn that Major Reybold, of this 
county, commenced shearing his large and valuable flock 
of Leicester sheep. On Friday he invited several of his 
agricultural friends to witness his operations, and partake 
of a “'fatted lamb” of that famous breed. One hundred 
of the run of his flock were sheared under the inspection 
of Isaac Reeves, Capt. Maxwell, Dr. J. W. Thompson, 
and C. P. Holcomb, Esq., and averaged about 7| pounds 
per fleece; some weighing nearly 9 pounds; few under 6, 
and generally from 7 to 8 pounds; a most extraordinary 
yield. Major Reybold’s home flock consists, we are told 
of about 600, and as many more divided among his dif¬ 
ferent farms.—We are informed, that out of ten shearers, 
six were grown up sons of the Major, all married men 
except the youngest, who certainly deserves to be.—Our 
friend describes the scene as one of the most patriarchal 
and interesting he ever witnessed: and of Major Reybold’s 
whole farm, dairy, and agricultural arrangements as in 
the highest good taste and prosperity. The fine mutton 
of Mr. R. has been long celebrated. His great clip of 
long wool, w T c should think, under the present tariff will 
bring him handsome prices, and be admirably calculated 
for the manufacture of mouselin de lains and combing 
puposes. Success to him, and the agricultural spirit per¬ 
vading Delaware.” 
AGRICULTURAL PAPERS. 
A “ Plow-Boy” has reached us from Cincinnati. He 
is an ingenious and spirited little fellow, and makes his 
interesting visits monthly, at a charge of only twenty-five 
cents a year! The funny letters, made out of ox-yokes, 
spades, rakes, scythes, reaping-hooks, &c., are worth ten 
times the cost, for aiding and strengthening the organ of 
genius in other boys! Conducted by A. Randall. 
The New-England Farmer, Boston, has commen¬ 
ced its twenty-third volume. Next to the American Far¬ 
mer, Baltimore, this is the oldest agricultural paper now 
in existence in this country, and is certainly one of the 
best. Edited and published (weekly) by Joseph Breck, 
Esq. 
The Valley Farmer, Winchester, Va., No. 1 of the 
first volume, has reached us. It is well printed, filled 
with useful matter, and deserves encouragement. One 
dollar a year in advance. J. B. Bentley, publisher. 
The New-York Farmer and Mechanic, is publish¬ 
ed semi-monthly at 208 Broadway, New-York, edited by 
S. Fleet. Terms $1 per year. It contains the report 
of the doings of the N. Y. Farmers Club, which are 
highly interesting and useful, and is in all respects well 
conducted. 
Disease in Poultry.— Turkies and dung-b *11 fowls 
which are kept closely confined, are often aflec+ed with 
a disease of the eyes and head, sometimes calk'd “ sore 
head.” It sometimes destroys the sight. Some suppose 
it to be contagious. We have known fowls to have it, 
which had their liberty in the day time, but rc osted at 
night in a building or room fitted purposely foy them. 
We observe that Mr. A. P. Cummings, at a late meeting 
of the Farmer’s Club, New-York, gives it as his tf>pvfcion 
that the ammonia of the dung injures their eyes. He 
removes the dung and scatters on the spot platr of 
|Paris freely. 
