THE CULTIVATOR. 
363 
gaged upon the same crops, in the same agricultural re¬ 
gion. ” 
This appears to us to be a very judicious mode of con¬ 
ducting such a survey, and we cannot doubt that it will 
prove highly useful. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
Pumpkins. —Mr. L. Durand informs us that he raised 
the past season, eleven large cart loads of pumpkins, from 
about three acres of corn ground. The pumpkins were 
planted one seed in a place, about the first of June, in 
about every third hill of every third row of corn. The 
ground was well manured with long stable manure. The 
corn crop was good. Mr. Durand mentions that the lit¬ 
tle striped bug, (Galeruca vittata, of Dr. Harris,) which 
is often so destructive to vines, has not been seen in his 
neighborhood, the past season. We are also informed 
that in some parts of Massachusetts, the same remarkable 
disappearance of that insect has been observed. The 
curculio has almost totally vanished from the eastern sec¬ 
tion of that State. No cause for their sudden exit is 
known. The periodical appearance and disappearance 
of insects, is sometimes strange and unaccountable. Mr. 
Durand also says he has not seen any of the large black 
pumpkin or squash bugs, (Coreus trispis,) the past sea¬ 
son. We do not know that this insect has been general¬ 
ly less common this season than usual. Mr. Durand says 
he “ never could see that these bugs eat either the stalk 
or vine.” They certainly do eat both. When squashes 
or pumpkins are but just out of the ground, and have on¬ 
ly two leaves, (seed leaves, as they are called,) the black 
or brown bug screens itself on the under side of the leaves, 
and feeds on the stalk near the ground. At this tender 
stage of the plant, the punctures of the insect soon de¬ 
stroy it. As Mr. D. suggests, the use of ground plaster, 
scattered on the leaves, is a good thing to keep off the 
bugs. 
Bone Mills. —We have received a letter from Mr. 
Peter Eastwood, who is desirous of obtaining a contract 
for the erection of a mill for grinding bones. He states 
that he has had much experience in England in building 
such mills—that he is by trade a mill-wright, and for the 
last thirty years, has ground bones both for his own use, 
and for sale—and is well acquainted with the application 
of bones to the different kinds of soil, the different quan¬ 
tities required, &c. Should any person be disposed to 
engage Mr. Eastwood for the erection of a bone-mill, a 
letter would reach him, addressed to the care of Ander¬ 
son Keese, Keeseville, N. Y. 
Bokhara Clover. —Mr. Jos. A. Badger, of Fabius, 
Onondaga county, N. Y., makes some inquiries about the 
Bokhara clover, to which we reply, that it is ascertained 
to be nothing more than common melilot, (sweet clo¬ 
ver,) or a species so nearly resembling it that the differ¬ 
ence is scarcely perceptible. We are not aware that it 
possesses any valuable properties as food for stock. 
It is sometimes used in a similar manner to sage in sea¬ 
soning cheese, and it makes excellent pasture for bees. 
Inquiry—Straw Cutter. —Mr. Alexander Leeds, 
of St. Joseph, Michigan, asks us “ which is the best corn¬ 
stalk cutter ?” He says—“ By the best, I mean the one 
which is most likely to keep in good order; to do the 
most work in a certain time by the same power; the ea¬ 
siest to work by hand, and the cheapest as to price.” 
Wm. Hovey, Worcester, Mass., manufactures a ma¬ 
chine which is very popular. For cutting hay or straw, 
it is by many thought superior to any other. He recei¬ 
ved the first premium at the New-York State Show this 
year, and also that of the Mass. State Ag. Soc. We think 
the price of this machine is $25. We noticed a machine 
at the Poughkeepshie Show which we thought particu¬ 
larly well adapted to cutting corn-stalks, offered by Thos. 
P. Thorne, Fishkill. It received one of the premiums. 
The price of this machine is $25. Another quite simple 
and effective machine was offered by J. C. Conklin, 
Peekskill. Its price is $18. 
Mr. Leeds also further inquires—“Will you also inform 
me if it is better to cut hay for cattle, or to feed it out un¬ 
cut ? Farmers here depend much upon the hay from the 
wild grass of neighboring marshes, there not being much 
Thaothy or clover raised, and the cattle waste nearly if 
not quite one quarter of this wild hay.” 
On this subject, our correspondent will find a valuable 
article in the current volume of the Cultivator, at page 
18. In relation to the wild grass he speaks of, his cattle 
would probably eat it better if cut, and especially if a 
small quantity of bran, shorts or meal was mixed with 
the chaff. There is unquestionably a saving of fodder, 
whether it be hay, straw or corn-stalks, by cutting, but 
the economy of the operation must depend on the com¬ 
parative price of hay and labor. 
Wives and Daughters. —Our correspondent “ L—,” 
of Michigan, strongly recommends the English practice 
of all hands, men, women and children, joining in the la¬ 
bors of the harvest field. We have not room for the ar¬ 
ticle at length, which is prefaced by an extract from 
Thomson’s seasons, beautifully descriptive of the harvest 
scene, and even, did space allow, we fear that L.’s re¬ 
marks would find but little favor. We give a brief ex¬ 
tract: “ At the present time, in most of the countries of 
Europe, harvest work is done by male and female reap¬ 
ers in about equal numbers; and it is much to be wished 
that the fair daughters of Columbia, would imitate their 
European sisters as much in the harvest field as they r do 
in the toilet. It would invigorate their constitutions, im¬ 
prove their appearance, and add much to the prosperity 
of the country; and instead of having the appearance of 
factory girls, they would resemble the picture of rural 
beauty, so graphically drawn by Walter Scott in his La¬ 
dy of the Lake: 
What tho’ the sun with ardent frown 
Had slightly ting’d her cheek with brown? 
What tho’ upon her speech there hung 
The accent of a mountain tongue 1 
A foot more light, a step more true, 
Ne’er from the heath xiowers brush’d the dew.” 
Raising Clover. —Mr. Henry Bremen, of Enfield, 
Tompkins county, N, Y., thinks the raising of clover 
seed is very profitable. At four dollars a bushel, he 
thinks it affords a better profit than any kind of grain. 
His mode of raising seed from the large kind of clover, is 
to pasture it till the 12th or 15th of June, then sow on 
some plaster, and mow as soon as three-fourths of it is 
ripe. He says by mowing it thus early, more seed is got 
than if it stood till fully ripe; because in the latter state, 
a quarter of the seed is lost in gathering. For the small 
kind of clover, mow from the 20th to the 24th of June; 
plaster immediately after the hay is off. The second 
growth will give good seed. It is common for many far¬ 
mers to gather their clover seed early, and sow the sod 
with wheat the same fall, and in most cases, it is the best 
fallow we have for wheat, leaving the ground in fine con¬ 
dition for wheat, and affording much vegetable matter to 
plow under. 
N. Y. STATE AG. SOCIETY. 
The annual meeting of this Society, will be held at 
the Society’s Rooms in this city, on Wednesday, the 15th 
of January next, at 10 o’clock. Applicants for premiums 
on farm crops. Experiments, Essays, &c., are reminded 
that their statements must be forwarded to the Recording 
Secretary, Albany, on or before the first of January. 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES IN NOVA SCOTIA. 
We are glad to learn that agriculture is evidently im¬ 
proving in this province. In the Halifax Morning Post, 
we have”accounts of several exhibitions which have been 
held during the past fall, evincing a spirit and enterprize 
highly creditable to the farmers of that country. The 
Cattle Show of the King’s County Ag. Society, which 
took place on the 25th of September, was well attended 
—many fine animals were exhibited, and more than £100 
were distributed in prizes. We trust our Nova Scotia 
brethren will persevere in the good cause which they 
seem to have commenced with so much zeal, and send 
us another account of their progress. 
He who masters his passions conquers his greatest 
enemy. Mature deliberation is always better than hasty 
decision. 
