282 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
to find any close analysis of wheat, but it must of neces¬ 
sity contain a much larger proportion of nitrogen than 
grass does, on account of its possessing a greater abun¬ 
dance of gluten, an essential element of which is nitro¬ 
gen. Therefore the addition of half a pound of nitrogen, 
(which is the greatest quantity Mr. Campbell's theory re¬ 
quires,) to an acre of wheat, could only result in adding 
fifty pounds of wheat in the straw to the harvest that 
would have been yielded without it; that is, that this 
plan of manuring can only result in increasing the crop, 
straw and all, of an acre of ground, fifty pounds. Still, 
as I stated before, it is worth trying, because the cost of 
the experiment is a mere trifle, and there may be things 
in agriculture as well as elsewhere, not dreamed of in our 
philosophy. In the chemical proportions above referred 
to, I have o»ly attempted an approach to the various 
quantities, but I believe a sufficiently close approxima¬ 
tion to exactness has been attained for all practical pur¬ 
poses, especially for that in view. 
Baltimore , Aug. 1844. Gideon B. Smith. 
MERINO SHEEP—A CHALLENGE. 
Editors of* * the Cultivator —At your request, I 
forward you some samples of my merino wool. 
As the best answer to the commendations of the meri¬ 
no sheep of Mr. D. C. Collins of Conn., and the attacks 
on those of other breeders, which have appeared in the 
American Agriculturist, I forward you a copy of the fol¬ 
lowing offer forwarded by me this day to Mr. Collins, 
accompanied by the intimation that it would be published 
in the principal agricultural journals of this State.* This 
intimation was given to allow him to publish his answer 
accompanying the challenge, in the September number 
of those periodicals, should he see fit: 
I will show a buck from the flock of Mr. S. W. 
Jewett, against Mr. Collins’ < Grandee,’* and as the pro¬ 
perties of tiie individual do not always test the blood and 
properties as a stock getter of a male animal, I will show 
two bucks and two ewes not less than one year old, and 
also two buck and two ewe lambs, all got by the buck 
exhibited by me, against an equal number of bucks, ewes 
and lambs, the get of c Grandee’ from Mr. Collins’ impor¬ 
ted stock or their descendants—these also with the excep¬ 
tion of the four lambs, to be not less than one j^ear old. 
The descent of the other animals from the buck exhibit¬ 
ed by me, and from ( Grandee,’ to be properly attested. 
The exhibition to take place at Poughkeepsie at or near 
the show ground of the State Agricultural Society on the 
17th day of Sept, next, at 2 o’clock, P. M. As the judges 
on sheep selected by the State Ag. Society will not pro¬ 
bably be then in attendance, and as they might not 
choose to be called on to decide in a private contest of 
this kind, I . will select one of the judges, Mr. Collins 
shall select one, and the two thus named shall have pow¬ 
er to select a third. I have named no sum of money as 
a wager, for under provocation which I consider as most 
gross and wanton, I would avoid all appearance of retal¬ 
iatory blustering. I am content to show the sheep, and 
let their comparative merits be decided by disinterested 
men; but if desired by Mr. Collins, a wager for any sum 
not exceeding $200 on a side, will not be declined. 
I will also show at the same time and place, samples 
of wool from five of my ewes, against samples from an 
equal number of Mr. Collins’ Rambouillet ewes, the 
weight of the last fleece, from which each sample is to 
be taken, to be proved by the affidavit of some individual 
who witnessed the shearing, “ doing up,” and weighing 
of each of the fleeces without being absent during or be¬ 
tween either of said processes. The entire credibility of 
the person making such affidavit to be certified by the 
first Judge of the County in which he resides. The 
weight and quality of the fleeces in connection with the 
ages of the sheep, to be taken into consideration by the 
*1 give it this unusual publicity, as these commendations of Mr. C.’s 
sheep, accompanied by a favorable notice of the attacks which have 
appeared in the Am. Agriculturist, on the sheep of other breeders, 
have been published in an Almanac, of which a large edition has been 
issued with the design of giving it as wide a circulation as practicable. 
*Mr. Colling’s best imported buck, of which a portrait has appeared 
in the American Agriculturist, American Agriculturist Almanac, Cen¬ 
tral N. Y. Farmer, &c. 
|judges in making their decision. Judges selected ap 
jabove. Here too, no wager is offered, but if one is pro 
ferred by the opposite party, to an amount not exceeding 
say $50, it will not be declined. 
This challenge to remain open until the 5th day of Sept, 
next. Henry S. Randall 
Cortland Village, Aug. 5, 1844. 
BEST TIME FOR CUTTING WHEAT. 
The following experiments, just performed by the wri 
ter, to determine the best time for cutting wheat, may 
possibly be interesting to some: 
1844, 6 mo. 29.—A few heads of wheat were cut from 
the field, when perfectly green, the grains hardly having 
attained full size, and being cc in milk” or quite liquid 
within. After drying several weeks, a hundred seeds 
were carefully weighed and found to weigh only twenty 
grains. They were almost shrunk to chaff', 
j 7 mo. 4.—Other heads were cut in the same way— 
jthey had just begun to assume a perceptible shade of yel¬ 
low. One hundred seeds weighed when well dried, 35 
grains, or nearly double the first. 
7 mo. 11.—Other heads were cut—they had changed 
about one-third in color—the grains in the dough state. 
One hundred seeds weighed 46 grains, and Avould be re¬ 
garded as a fair specimen of ordinary wheat. 
7 mo. 15.—Mostly become yellow—a few streaks of 
decided green near the tips of the chaff—heads quite 
erect. After cutting in this state, and drying some weeks, 
the seeds were very plump and fine looking, 100 weigh 
ing 55 grains. 
7 mo. 29.—Heads dead ripe and curved downwards. 
100 seeds weighed 53 grains, being two grains lighter 
| than the last, which would be a loss of about one bushel 
of wheat in every twenty-seven, by cutting it dead ripe, 
instead of two weeks earlier as in the above instance- 
besides the loss by shelling, and the inferiority of the 
straw. J. J. Thomas. 
PLANS OF BUILDINGS. 
Messrs. Editors— Here is a plan of a farmhouse that 
I would like to see in the Cultivator; and also a plan of 
| a cheap horse barn, asked for by one of your correspon¬ 
dents. Farm House —(Fig. 87.) 
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Main building, 24 by 32 feet, two stories—back build¬ 
ing, same size, story and a half high. 
A. parlor, 16 by 16—B. dining-room, 16 by 16— 
C. kitchen, 18 by 18—E. hall, 8 by 16—F. bed-room, 8 
by 8—G. bed-room, 8 by 8—H. bed-room, 7 by 8—I. 
hall, 4 by 8—J. wood-house, 12 by 16—K. pantry, 7 by 
8—L. wash-house, 12 by 12—M. open stoop, 6 by 32. 
Horse Barn— (Fig. 88.) 
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Carriage way—14 feet. 
Cost about $150,24 feet wide by 32 long. Posts 14 feet 
long. 
