1849. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
93 
with the view of ascertaining how far the richness of 
her milk would compare with that of the domestic cow; 
its bag was quite small, as was its calf, which I raised 
to maturity. This cow with its- calf, was brought to 
my farm with the greatest difficulty, from Jefferson 
county, in this State; but some two months after, in 
attempting to confine her, for the purpose of milking 
her, she broke away from all the force I possessed, 
leaped my post and rail fence, and returned through 
the city to her place of nativity, some thirty miles dis¬ 
tant, leaving behind her calf. Hearing that she was 
there troublesome, I authorised her to be shot. My 
female buffaloes were inoffensive, tame and gentle; the 
males, when grown, were violent, vicious, and most 
dangerous; would readily break through any of my en¬ 
closures, or gates, in pursuit of my cows, preferring 
them to the buffalo cows. 
In the course of twelve months, ten of my most va¬ 
luable cows and heifers, having died, incapable of par¬ 
turition; and my buffalo cows having also died from 
neglect or some other cause, I was induced to dispose 
of my bulls. No consideration would induce me again 
to own one. There cannot be a doubt that the cross of 
the buffalo with our cattle, is capable of procreation. 
J. O’Fallon. St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 8, 1848. 
Early Peas. 
This is the time to prepare for raising early vegeta¬ 
bles. Hot-beds may be prepared for radishes, lettuce, 
cucumbers, tomatoes, &c. Peas may be planted in the 
open air, on warm ground, any time this month. We 
shall not be likely to have frosts of sufficient severity 
to kill plants of this kind, after the ground has been 
fairly thawed and settled. The Prince Albert is con¬ 
sidered the best early variety of peas; next to this, the 
Early Washington. 
A writer in The Horticulturist describes a mode of 
raising early peas, which is worthy of trial. He pre¬ 
pares troughs of rough boards, like a common sheep 
trough, eight feet long, and about eight inches wide at 
the top. These troughs are filled with good soil, and 
a row of peas planted in each of them. They are then 
placed in a green-house, or in a common hot-bed. His 
hot-bed frames are made in a cheap manner. He uses 
common cotton cloth instead of glass, for lights; which 
it is stated are as good as glass for most purposes, and 
cost only a fifth as much. After the cotton is stretched 
on the frames, it is made transparent and durable by 
coating it with the following composition: “ three pints 
best old boiled linseed oil, four ounces white resin, and 
one ounce sugar of lead. The oil and resin must be a 
little heated to make them mix, and the sugar of lead 
must be first ground with a little of the oil, and then 
mixed with the remainder.” A coat of this composi¬ 
tion is given the canvass lights every season before 
using them. 
It is only for extra early peas that it is recommended 
to put the troughs in hot-beds or green-houses. The 
writer alluded to says — u For my main crop of early 
peas, which I start about the first of March, I use no¬ 
thing but the frame and the canvass lights which cover 
it. This gives warmth and shelter enough for peas; 
for a crop in the trough is growing every day with lit¬ 
tle or no attention, while in the open ground they have 
scarcely vegetated.” 
The mode of transplanting from the trough is descri¬ 
bed as follows: “ As soon as the weather becomes mild 
and fine—say by the first of April, I prepare a spot in 
the kitchen garden, in which to transplant my early 
peas. This is very easily done by making a slight 
trench, just large enough to take in the whole trough— 
fill the earth up to the sides of the box, knock away 
the ends, and then carefully drawing out the sides, 
press the mellow soil up to the earth in the trough, as 
the sides are drawn away. By watering the troughs 
beforehand, and doing the work nicely, the peas will 
never know they have been transplanted.” It is said 
that peas may be obtained in this way two or three 
weeks earlier than can be grown wholly in the open air. 
Hussey’s Reaping Machine. 
In the Ohio Cultivator, I observed an article headed 
“ Hussey : s Mowing and Reaping Machine — Hussey's 
Patent —in which the editor informs his readers, that 
the patent, covering my “ cutting apparatus, expired 
a year ago,” and that any one can now build machines 
embracing that principle. Ketchum, in particular, who 
has copied my cutting apparatus in his mowing ma¬ 
chine, is urged to 11 go ahead.” The editor is rather 
too fast; it is true that my original patent has expired, 
but the subject of its extension is now before Congress, 
and has been reported on favorably, and may probably 
become a law. It is also true that a patent was grant¬ 
ed to me in 1847, for an improvement in the cutting 
apparatus. This improvement is now considered indis- 
pensible, especially in mowing machines. As the im¬ 
provement last patented by me is embraced in Ketch- 
urn’s Machine, I do not see how he or any other person 
can “go ahead” in building Hussey’s Mowing or 
Reaping Machines, without infringing on my rights, 
unless they confine themselves to my original plan, 
which is now considered an old-time affair, out of fash¬ 
ion, and of little account, when my late improvements 
can be had. 
As the public appear, to be uninformed on this mat¬ 
ter, and liable to be misled by the article in the Ohio 
Cultivator , I deem it proper to make this statement, as 
well for the benefit of the public, as to relieve my pri¬ 
vate character from the imputation of fraud, with those 
who know me to be receiving compensation for my pa¬ 
tent righ,t in the reaping machine. Obed Hussey 
Baltimore, Jan. 16, 1849. 
Action of Rime. 
Hon. John Delafield, in his address before the 
Yates County Agricultural Society, made the following 
remarks in regard to the action of lime. They are 
worthy the attention of farmers. 
“ Lime exists in plants in various proportions, viz:— 
32 per cent of the ashes of oakwood is lime; 27 per 
cent of the ashes of poplar is lime; 14 per cent of 
the ashes of peas is lime, and 4 per cent of the ashes 
of our wheat plant is lime. Lime is an essential con¬ 
stituent of wheat. It must therefore be in our soils, or 
our wheat never can be matured. Lime therefore is a 
d%rect food for wheat, and so also for other plants.—- 
This important element of our soils possesses several 
qualities, most essential and highly beneficial to the 
farmer. For instance, where applied to heavy clay 
soils, it renders them more open and easily worked, ad 
mitting the action of the atmosphere. 
“ In all soils containing the sulphate of iron, lime 
will decompose the sulphate of iron, and thereby form 
plaster of paris; a material well known. When we 
apply lime in its fresh or caustic state, it acts as a sol¬ 
vent, destroys the texture of matter in contact with it. 
or changes its nature. But when by exposure to the 
air this power is lost, and it becomes slacked, then it 
is food direct for plants. 
“ Now as to the best method of using lime, farmers 
are not agreed; and with some hesitation I will state 
my practice and give my reasons. We see and know 
that twenty bushels of wheat, if produced from a sin 
gle acre, will take from that acre about seven pounds 
of lime:—then as a bushel of lime weighs about 72 
