1849. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 157 
most profitable. At. what price could the services of 
a northern man be obtained, who understands this bu¬ 
siness, to conduct it ? And wiiat would be the cost of 
the necessary fixtures, house, &c. for a cheese dairy ? 
Any other information that the subject may suggest 
will be thankfully received. A Southerner. Bar- 
boursville, Va., March, 1849. 
Slieep and Wool. 
These have been at the lowest ebb for two or three- 
years past. But a change is commencing, and these 
are having a steady, upright tendency—at least so it. 
would seem. Some say it is only a mere spasm—that 
there is no real life in these staples—that they are dead 
—that wool-growing is so unprofitable that it must be 
abandoned—or driven to those portions of the country 
where wool may be grown at little cost. Within the 
past two years, it is thought that 1,000,000 of sheep 
have been killed in Vermont for their pelts and tallow. 
Some portions of that wool-growing state are now al¬ 
most destitute of sheep, and dairies appear in their 
stead. So of the Western Reserve in Ohio. So of 
many other portions of the country. 
Now what is the truth on this subject ? Will some 
of your subscribers give us their views ? Shall I be 
able to determine how to employ a little spare capital 
as a farmer ? Shall I invest in sheep or in cows ? 
and will some one inform me, what the north and east 
are to rely on ? Can northern farmers grow wool pro¬ 
fitably ?—Or is there greater profit to be derived from 
dairy products. My opinion is not made up on the sub¬ 
ject. Certain it is that wool-growing has been profit¬ 
able. It is equally certain that it has been a poor bu¬ 
siness—and now, another change is taking place. Ma¬ 
ny a man wishes to know what to do. Will some one 
tell us ? L. B. G. 
Lime and Charcoal lor Potatoes. 
Eds- Cultivator-—I send you the following experi¬ 
ment, showing the comparative effect of powdered 
charcoal and lime in raising potatoes, &c. 
May 10, 1848-—I planted Early Scarcity potatoes, in 
drills, three feet apart, made with a common plow. I 
scattered a moderate quantity of well rotted manure in 
all the drills. I then took seven rows for experiment, 
which was as follows: On the 24th August, I mea¬ 
sured off 30 feet of each row, parallel to each other, 
and weighed the product of each, which I give below: 
Row. Weight. 
1. A sprinkling- of lime on the seed,. 26% lbs. 
2. No lime or charcoal, . 30 
3. A dressing-of powdered charcoal,. 34 
4. do do . 35 
5. do lime,.. 33% 
6. do do ... 32J 
7. do powdered charcoal,.... 35% 
The result shows that charcoal dust, in every ease, 
gave a larger yield than lime, but does not prove that 
lime was of any advantage to the crop, although not 
conclusive, as there was but one row without lime or 
charcoal. The experiment does not show any extra¬ 
ordinary effect of the charcoal; but I am of the opin¬ 
ion that the effect of this fertilizer will he more en¬ 
during than any other manure, and on that account I 
consider it valuable. The charcoal I get from a forge 
near by, it being the dust remaining about the coal- 
house. The soil on which the trial was made was a 
sandy loam. All the tubers were sound, although the 
vines were-slightly effected.with the prevailing disease. 
It is my practice to dig my potatoes early, and if 
possible in good weather, and spread them in a dry, 
cool, and airy outhouse, where they remain until it is 
necessary to protect them from frost, when they are re¬ 
moved to the cellar. When treated in this manner, I have 
never had any rot in my cellar. One of my neighbors 
dug his potatoes about the same time that I did; he had 
no rot in the field, and put. them directly into his cellar in 
good order. Early in January he told me that he had lost 
nearly all, by the dry rot. Many others have lost more 
or less potatoes by rotting in the cellar. I think my 
way of digging early, and putting into the cellar late, 
after the weather has become cold, will ensure their 
safety. John W. Bailey. Plattsburgh, N. V., Feb¬ 
ruary, 1849. 
Importance of a Good Market. 
To the farmer, a good market is next in importance 
to good cultivation, and you may think it of sufficient 
importance to your readers to note the change the con¬ 
struction of the New-York and Erie Railroad is now 
making, and destined to effect, in the kind of produce 
and mafiner of marketing, for a large portion of this 
State. 
That road was open to Binghamton the fore part of 
the past winter; its first visible effect upon the price 
and new demand created in this section, was noticed by 
a large collection of turkeys, geese and chickens, made 
by a man from the east, an advance of twenty-five cts. 
per pair on turkeys. They were carried some sixty 
miles to Binghamton, and taken through alive. Large 
quantities of fresh pork have passed here from Steuben, 
Yates and Ontario counties, for New York by that road, 
as also, butter, lard, See. Fat cattle have been bought 
in this region, and sent through on the road. The Hon. 
A. B. Dickinson, of Steuben, alone sends thirty head 
each week. Fat sheep are now being collected near 
here, to be sent by railroad. 
Now all this appears new to us, and we discover that 
our whole system of doing business is to be changed, as 
well our overplus material, as our route and manner of 
reaching market. _ 
Heretofore, about the only articles we sent jP'the sea 
board, were cattle, mostly lean, driven over a long road. 
Driving would reduce the flesh, if the cattle were good 
beef when started. Wheat, butter and wool, were sent 
only during the,season of canal navigation. 
The Erie road will be completed to Elmira in No¬ 
vember next, and the Chemung road, to Seneca lake, 
which will not only give the southern tier the advanta¬ 
ges of a new and quick market., but open a new chan¬ 
nel for the large surplus products of the lake country. 
I here predict that the city of New York will find, 
when it has this fertile region, the Lake Country in 
Western New York, to supply her market and tables 
during winter, that its capacity to furnish, far exceeds 
any section heretofore accessible. 
Heretofore, our fat cattle and sheep, pi<rs, poultiy, 
eggs, fresh butter, fruit, See., have been low, compared 
with the price in New York. This new avenue to mar¬ 
ket will equalize prices. In marketing our pork, heavy 
hogs would command the highest price per pound; now 
the young and light, to consume fresh, are most valua¬ 
ble, while they cost less; because fed led less grain. 
Heretofore, we have kept our steers three and four 
years—sent them east, where the farmers have fed them 
six to ten months, and realised, by being near market, 
as much as we. After this, we shall put on the flesh 
ourselves, and realise more nearly the city price. 
This road will open a fine field for those disposed to 
cultivate fruit for market. The soil and climate about 
these lakes, will unquestionably produce as fine, if not 
better fruit, than any other part of the state. It is al¬ 
so less liable to be cut off’ by frost. Much farming 
land has changed hands at an advanced price, during 
this winter, within eight or ten miles of this new tho¬ 
roughfare. These improvements will enhance the va¬ 
lue of the land through which they pass, for capital 
must pay a higher per centage in the interior, at present 
prices, than near the city. 
