£46 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
twenty minutes whenever I perceive it requisite, and I 
find it a plan both humane and profitable.” In a note, 
the writer says—“ It deserves to be noted that the food 
of the reapers, whose work has been stated above, con¬ 
sisted of oatmeal porridge and milk for breakfast and sup¬ 
per, and potatoes for dinner, with abundance of oat-cakes 
and milk at every meal. All whom I know that have 
harvested in the south, [England, we presume,] assure 
me that they cannot do so much work there, because the 
diet consists of porridge and milk, with bread at dinner 
only.” 
What would women in this country say to laboring in 
the harvest-field, even under the “ humane plan” of this 
writer? and what would be thought of the farmer in this 
country who should feed his harvest-hands on nothing 
but “ porridge and milk,” potatoes, and oat-cakes ? 
Let us be thankful that women are not here made “hew¬ 
ers of wood and drawers of water,” and that our laborers 
are supplied with those articles of animal food which 
contain the most substantial elements of nutrition and 
Strength. 
Lime. —In “ Sketches of East Lothian Husbandry,” it 
is said lime was formerly used extensively, it having 
been found of the greatest efficacy on strong clayey land. 
It is now only employed to a very limited extent, more 
than half the lime-kilns at present lying idle. This, it is 
said, arises from the circumstance that land once tho¬ 
roughly limed, derives comparatively little advantage 
from, and may be injured by a further application of this 
substance for a considerable period after the first dose. 
Cultivation of Turneps —The editor of the London 
Gardener’s Chronicle, speaking of the fertilizing tenden¬ 
cy of the turnep crop, says—“We have seen fields so cul¬ 
tivated that a handful of earth could not be taken up in 
them which was not full of these silken-looking fibres 
(roots) ; and so vigorous was the growth of the crop in 
that part of the field, that on digging a pit, these fibres, 
(recognized by their appearance and taste,) were found 
to have penetrated to the depth of Jive feet!” 
Wheat iN Drills. —From the same authority as that 
above quoted, we learn that 100 acres of wheat together, 
had produced by the drill-mode of sowing, according to 
the estimation of the best judges, five quarters (40 bush¬ 
els) per acre. 
Adulteration of Manures. —Great fraud is prac¬ 
tised in England by the adulteration of some kinds of ma¬ 
nures. By an article on this subject in the Gardener’s 
Chronicle, it appears that a substance which had been 
sold as hone ash, was found on analysis to contain eighty- 
five per cent of carbonate of lime, or chalk. In this case 
the farmer had been paying 10?. for every thirty shillings 
worth of manure. In other cases the bones had been in¬ 
creased in weight by soaking them in water—making, in 
every ton of bones, about seven hundred weight of wa¬ 
ter. Substances sold as guano, have been found to con¬ 
tain seventy-five per cent of brick-dust—and in other in¬ 
stances a large proportion of saw-dust, clay, or ground 
bark. John Bull might offset this against Brother Jon¬ 
athan’s wooden pumpkin-seeds and horn flints. 
Valuable Cow.—Mr. James Geach, of Penvounder, 
an the parish of Sithney, has a cow that, with ordinary 
keep, produced last year 350 lbs. of butter. She calved 
in March last, and there is every probability that she 
will produce as much this year. 
Good Farming. —A correspondent of the Agricultural 
Gazette, says—“ Good productive farming does not de¬ 
pend upon these things, so much as upon draining, deep 
and frequent plowing, clearing the land from all other 
plants but those you desire to grow, early seeding, and 
last, but not least, preserving every decayed vegetable 
matter that can be found, either on or off the farm, and 
mixing it judiciously with the excrement of a well-se¬ 
lected stock of animals adapted to the character of the 
soil, preserving the mixtures in properly constructed 
yards and tanks.” 
Composts. —The same correspondent recommends, 
from his own experience, a compost made as follows, 
the quantity mentioned being sufficient for one acre:— 
« Put 8 bushels of crushed bones into a dry shed, and add 
from time to time, as they come to hand from the farm¬ 
house, or as they can be procured elsewhere, 24 bushels 
of ashes (wood are the best,) and empty upon the mass, 
from day to day, the contents of the chamber utensils; to 
be stirred and mixed occasionally. At least 6 or.8 acres 
may be thus manured at a farm consisting of as many 
persons.” 
Turenp-Fly. —I have found that half an ounce of 
sulphur mixed with a pound of turnep-seed, prevents the 
ravages of the fly. The experiment is easy, and has not 
been known in any case to fail. I have used this plan 
with success for several years, and have not lost a single 
turnep. It has been tried on a small scale in my imme¬ 
diate neighborhood, and in no case has it failed to pro¬ 
tect the young turnep from the fly— Ag. Gazette. 
Manuring with Loam and Clay in a roasted 
state _Professor Chs. Sprengel recommends burning 
or roasting clay for manure. After alluding to the idea 
that is by some entertained that the use of burnt clay 
would render the use of dung superfluous, he says:—“Al¬ 
though this assertion is not borne out by fact, still it can¬ 
not be doubted that by roasted clay or loam one substance 
is conveyed to the soil, which is a most important ingre¬ 
dient of dung, viz. nitrogen. Because, if a loam or clay 
is roasted, which contain already protoxide of iron or 
manganese, or in which these substances are formed du¬ 
ring burning from the oxide of iron or manganese, am¬ 
monia will be formed the moment that water and the ni¬ 
trogen of the atmospheric air have access, as the pro¬ 
toxides of iron and manganese decompose the water and 
combine with its oxygen into an oxide, by which the 
hydrogen will be set free, which will then unite with the 
nitrogen of the air into ammonia, the latter being either 
condensed in the pores of the clay, or received by the 
moisture which is at hand. That this process really takes 
place, I have found by many experiments, on which ac¬ 
count I recommend that sort of clay or loam for roasting 
which are rich in iron or manganese. A calculation 
made by me shows, that if the clay or loam used for the 
manuring of one acre contains 1000 lbs. protoxide of iron 
or manganese, there is a possibility that 100 lbs. of am¬ 
monia will be formed, which (as we know already) will 
produce a great effect.” 
Lucerne. —In no former period have I experienced 
the value of lucerne, as during the present protracted 
drouth; I have now nearly finished my first crop, which 
I have been cutting green for horses and cows, much of 
which measures in height 36 inches, and is very thick on 
the ground; my second crop is from 24 to 26 inch¬ 
es high, and equally as thick a plant as the first. 
I am now about cutting this for hay, and I think I 
have more weight per acre of my second crop than is 
grown this season on four or five acres (first crop) of the 
general average of pasture grounds now mowing. It 
does not appear to be in the least affected by the severe 
drouth, which I attribute to the very great depth the 
roots rundown; for I have heard (and which I doubt 
not) instances of lucerne roots being found from 10 to 14 
feet below the surface. I would again urge all, whether 
farmers or not, to try and grow lucerne, for of all sum¬ 
mer food for horses this is the very best; I am inclined 
to say likewise nothing can be better food for cows, for 
my own have lived entirely upon it the last three weeks, 
my feeding pasture being quite burned up for want of 
rain, and have produced a full quantity of butter .—Mark 
Lane Express. 
REFUSE OF THE TANNERRY. 
“D.X.” makes the following inquiries:—“In what 
manner can the refuse of a tannery, as hair, bits of skin 
and pieces of flesh that are taken from the hide, best be 
converted into a manure, to be applied to lands fitted for 
wheat or corn? 
Would such refuse mixed with barn yard manure, ash¬ 
es and charcoal,applied to land which is to be sown with 
wheat have a good effect ?” 
The substances alluded to, will undergo sufficient de¬ 
composition to render them good manure if laid in a pile 
during the summer. Ashes would, we should think, be 
useful in preparing the heap. 
