62 
THE CULTIVATOR 
Feb. 
I disposed of quite a lot of these incumbrances, with 
the aid of another hand, in a single day, thus “ enlar¬ 
ging the area,” without “ extending” it, and subsoil¬ 
ing, in one instance, to near the depth of seven feet. 
Maple Sugar —I do not intend here, to speak of the 
best way of producing this article in its purity. That 
has often been done through your columns by those bet¬ 
ter qualified than myself. The object is to induce those 
having the means, to make it. Many farmers, having 
abundance of the sugar maple, object to engaging in 
this business, alleging that the sale of the fuel neces¬ 
sary for its manufacture, would purchase an equal 
amount of sugar, ready made. I am quite certain that 
my own experience, for a series of years, has resulted 
in a different conclusion. Take the last season for an 
example. About 40 barrels of sap were boiled, consu¬ 
ming nearly three cords of refuse wood, chiefly bass 
and hemlock, and producing about 80 pounds of sugar 
and 16 gallons of molasses. Estimating the sugar at 
ten cents a pound, and the molasses at 50 cents a gal¬ 
lon, and the sales were all made at a higher rate, the 
amount is $16. The wood used could hardly have been 
sold for three dollars. My apparatus for boiling is not 
the most economical, being a cauldron set in brick, in 
connexion with a five pail kettle, with a spiral flue 
around the whole. A large sheet-iron pan is said to be 
far preferable, by exposing a much larger surface to the 
fire, by which the evaporating process is greatly expe¬ 
dited. A small building, contiguous to my dwelling, 
contains my boiling apparatus, and sufficient space for 
nearly two years’ supply of fuel, consisting of old rails, 
stumps, and parts of logs too knotty or tough to be re¬ 
duced for the stove, all gathered in the previous season 
so that when sugar time comes, half the fire may not 
be required to fry away the sap outside the kettles. A 
one horse power is used for gathering, and when the 
“run” is over, the buckets, &c. are carefully stowed 
away in an upper loft, ready for the u bush ” again on 
return of spring. It has been recommended to plug 
the trees, to facilitate the healing process. I have tried 
it one or two years, and the effect was evidently bad, 
and long since abandoned it. But not to protract these 
remarks; let those who have not yet drawn any portion 
of their sugar from the maple, be assured that this 
home-made luxury is not less sweet , albeit there may be 
less sweat in the manufacture of it, than in the more 
common product of the cane. 
Quantity of seed per Acre —The proper seeding 
of land is worthy the careful observation of every far¬ 
mer. To ascertain the amount of seed in any given 
case, best adapted to produce the greatest yield, is ne¬ 
cessary to successful cultivation. Such, however, is the 
diversity of soil, fertility and climate, together with va¬ 
rious other circumstances, that no rule, universally ap- 
piicapble, can be laid down. Perhaps in regard to this 
subject, as well as many others, it may be said that 
“truth lies between extremes.” “ Sowing sparingly 
has been condemned by high authority, and its practice 
is doubtless far more pernicious than its opposite. Sup¬ 
pose a certain field is designed for oats the ensuing- 
year—let a part be seeded at the rate of 2 and another 
part at the rate of 2-§, a third part at the rate of 3 bush¬ 
els per acre; the result would most likely indicate the 
proper quantity of seed per acre for that locality. For 
the above crop, I have usually sown 3 bushels per acre, 
a less quantity not appearing to fully occupy the ground. 
Planting Corn —With respect to corn, I have ge¬ 
nerally planted in rows both ways, at a distance of about 
3 feet. Last year the rows were 3 by 2-§, and the pre¬ 
sent year at least 3 by 4 feet; the land and cultivation 
about the same in both years, and the seasons favorable. 
In the first instance, the yield was less than in the last, 
taking any given number of hills, but much greater in 
the aggregate, both in grain and fodder. The first con¬ 
tained about 5.236 hillsj the latter, 3,627 per acre. 
The land was capable of sustaining the largest number 
and the trifling additional labor of tillage when the 
ground is fully occupied, is not to be compared with the 
greater yield. But the greater value of the crop, gene¬ 
rally obtained in consequence of thorough seeding, is 
not the only beneficial result. Noxious -weeds, to a great 
extent, are prevented from taking root and maturing 
their pernicious seeds, which in some fields appear to 
have already -won the victory over the less spontaneous 
but more legitimate and valuable products of agriculture. 
Pasturing Highways —The practice of some far¬ 
mers, of pasturing the highway, has several times been 
alluded to, and condemned by your correspondents, as 
well it should be. It is a bad business all round—for 
the owners, usually a profitless one, as the time spent 
in search of the animals is hardly to be compensated by 
all the pickings and stealings obtained abroad. And to 
those frequently harrassed by these unwelcome visitors, 
it is truly vexatious—an infliction which no man ought 
to inflict upon his neighbor. It has been, and perhaps 
still is, supposed by some persons, that certain animals 
are “ free commoners,” as they express it, and from 
indications not to be mistaken, the animals themselves 
apopt this belief to an unlimited extent. Now, Messrs. 
Editors, I wish to make a suggestion, and will then 
close these remarks. It is this—that at the ensuing 
town meetings, the presiding officer be requested to 
state briefly the law on this subject, asThere is evident¬ 
ly some lack of information in the community in regard 
to this matter. G. Butler. Clinton , N. Y., Dec. 20. 
Substitute for the Potato. 
Eds. Cultivator —As the potato disease is very se¬ 
vere, causing the complete failure of the crop on ma¬ 
ny farms in this neighborhood, I wish to call your atten- 
to an article I take from the New-York Sun of Nov. 
4, 1848. 
“ Rival of the Potato. M. Piquot Lamarre has 
been sent out to the United States, in order to colleet 
specimens of the newly discovered vegetable, a species 
of Picotiana, for the purpose of introducing it into 
France. It is considered superior to the potato, being 
more delicate, and at the same time, more nutritious.” 
I have seen no account of such a vegetable in your 
paper. Will you explain to your readers the character 
and quality of said vegetable, and in what part of the 
United States it may be found? C. Huntington. 
We know nothing of the vegetable alluded to, but 
insert the communication of Mr. H., for the purpose of 
bringing out further information on the subject.— Eds. 
Large Crop of Wheat. 
The last summer we harvested 240 bushels of wheat 
on 5| acres, weighing 62-| lbs to the measured bushel. 
The land upon which the wheat was raised, had been 
in pasture some six years, previous to March, 1847, at 
which time it was plowed, and sowed with oats. The 
oats were harvested in July following, and were only a 
tolerable crop. The oat-stubble was almost immediate¬ 
ly plowed under about seven inches deep, a dressing of 
well rotted manure and ashes, (mixed) was then put 
on, after which it was again plowed about six inches 
deep, with two horses, so that the stubble was left in a 
great measure undisturbed by the second plowing, (al¬ 
though it was so much rotted as not to be much in the 
way.) The second plowing, about the 24th of Septem¬ 
ber, was followed by the subsoil plow, drawn by 
two horses, loosening the ground under the stubble to 
the depth of five or six inches. The ground was har¬ 
rowed once before the wheat was sowed and twice after. 
On the 5® acres, about sixteen bushels of wheat were 
sowed. The variety was procured from Mr. John 
