1849. 
THE CULTIVATOR, 
333 
portions, may be taken up in the intervals which occur 
in the investigations of other matters. 
In the former of those classes of investigations wc 
are now engaged with a series of experiments for the 
purpose of determining, as far as chemistry can, the re¬ 
lative feeding values of different grains, and other ordi¬ 
nary sorts of cattle food—our object being so to deter¬ 
mine their values that the farmer may know what quan¬ 
tity of any given sort of food he ought to substitute lor 
that he has ordinarily employed, when the price of the 
former falls so low as to make it advantageous to use 
it. In this way the farmer will be enabled to employ 
the produce of his own farm, in place of disposing of 
it at low rates, and purchasing foreign cake or other 
foods. The subject is one of considerable difficulty, but 
when completed it will, I hope, serve to throw some 
light upon the principles of successful feeding; and it is 
our intention to extend it to our root crops, and to the 
different sorts of grass employed for hay, as opportuni¬ 
ty may offer. Another question, now under investiga¬ 
tion, is the alleged inferiority of the butter of cows fed 
with turneps grown with guano, to that of those fed 
with turneps grow T n with ordinary manure. I do not 
expect, however, that we shall be able to complete this 
till the close of the present season, as it was begun at 
too late a period to admit of our obtaining the turneps 
of the last crop in their best condition. Turneps, how¬ 
ever, are now being grown both with and without gua¬ 
no, by means of which we shall be able to investigate 
this matter more fully than we have yet been able to 
do. In connection with the turnep crop, we have also 
made arrangements for determining the cause of the 
different feeding value of turneps grown in high and low 
districts, and the chemical department of which will be 
entered upon as soon as the turneps now being grown 
expressly lor this purpose, are ready. 
The subjects belonging to the second and third clas¬ 
ses are of too special a character to render it necessary 
for me here to go into any details regarding them. I 
shall only mention that one is a careful series of analy¬ 
ses of standard soils from different parts of Scotland— 
a thing which is much wanted; for, notwithstanding all 
that has been done in agricultural chemistry, we are 
still very far from having a correct knowledge of the 
constitution of the soils best adapted to different crops. 
It will be seen, from what I have now mentioned, 
that we are occupied with a large amount of work, the 
satisfactory completion of which will require a conside¬ 
rable time, but from which, I trust, we shall obtain re¬ 
sults alike creditable to the Society and advantageous 
to agriculture. Of this I entertain little doubt; but I 
may be permitted to observe, that my chief fear for ag¬ 
ricultural chemistry is, that the constant craving after 
immediate results on the part of the agricultural pub¬ 
lic, may lead to the publication of hurriedly and imper¬ 
fectly performed investigations. The chemist knows 
well how desirable it is to weigh and repeatedly to ex¬ 
amine all his results, and to proceed cautiously and 
slowly: while the agriculturist, though in his own ope¬ 
rations he is content to cast his seed upon the ground, 
and wait patiently for the harvest, is too apt to imagine 
that the tree of science bears fruit at all seasons, 
though, in point of fact, the patient waiting for results 
is a most necessary element of scientific progress. If 
this error is avoided, I am convinced that good results 
will be obtained, and that all men will in time be con¬ 
vinced that the slow and careful determination of sci¬ 
entific facts, is likely to become one of the most impor¬ 
tant assistants in the improvement of practical agri¬ 
culture. 
Take care of all vegetables and fruits before the 
frost becomes severe. 
Practical .farming. 
Premium Farm of E. C. Bliss, Westfield. 
In our September number, we gave the statement of 
Mr. Foster, who received the first premium on farms, 
from the N. Y. State Agricultural Society. We here¬ 
with present from the Transactions , the statement of 
Mr. E. C. Bliss, of Westfield, Chautauque county, 
who received the second premium for the best cultiva¬ 
ted farm. 
Soils, See.—My farm is situated 2\ miles south of 
Lake Erie, and 60 west of Buffalo. It contains 110 
acres of arable land, and 40 of wood land, in all 150 
acres. The soil varies. Some sandy loam, some gra¬ 
velly loam, and some clay; with clay subsoil, no lime¬ 
stone, nor rocks, hut sufficient sizeable stones for all 
needful purposes on the farm. 
Rotation. —I manure well and pursue generally a 
three years’ rotation of crops. For clay soil; first a 
good coat of coarse manure on the turf, then plow and 
harrow, fitting it for corn or other hoed crop. After 
removing this crop, the same fall, the ground is agaia 
plowed and harrowed, and fitted for getting in an early 
spring crop. In the spring sow to some small grain. 
After this crop is removed, manure again, plow and fit 
for the third spring crop, which is usually barley, as 
that is preferable for seeding with. Then seed with 
clover or timothy. Gravel and sandy soils are treated 
some different, as they are suitable for winter wheat- 
After manuring and plowing well, in preference to sum¬ 
mer fallow, I sow to peas, or peas and oats; in the fall 
sow to winter wheat. By this management I have 
raised 21 bushels peas per acre. The following crop 
of wheat averaged 28-§ bushels per acre. Upon remo¬ 
ving this crop, I next plow the ground, and apply fine 
manure, then drag well and sow to winter wheat, and 
in the spring Sow to clover. 
Plowing. —The usual depth is from 6 to 8 inches. 
In all cases as deep as the plow will run and turn the 
turf well. The effect of this deep plowing is good, al¬ 
though on clay soil the first crop will not be better than 
that of shallow plowing, still the succeeding crops will 
be far better. 
I have in one instance tested deep and shallow plowing. 
I divided a field into two parts, and plowed one part 
four and the other ten inches deep, and planted both to 
corn. The first crop proved the shallow plowing the 
best, but the following year I pursued the same course 
with the same pieces, and found the deep plowing pro¬ 
duced a crop nearly double the shallow; a convincing 
proof to my mind that deep plowing is much preferable. 
Manures. —About 40 loads per acre. I throw the 
manure from stable windows under temporary sheds, in 
order to protect it from rains, having ope cellar 18 by 
25 for manure, over which are stabled 6 horses through 
the winter. My means for making manure are through 
my horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, to which I feed hay, 
carrots, potatoes, corn fodder, fee., during the winter. 
The sheep are principally fed under large sheds, from 
racks made for the purpose. Each of my yards has a 
basin dug to retain all the fine particles of manure, 
urine and wash of the yard, besides having a large ba¬ 
sin in my barn yard for the same purpose. Part of my 
straw I stack in the yards, and the remainder reserve 
for bedding for the different animals during the winter, 
and keeping the yards well littered, fee., all to increase 
the manure. My horses and cattle are all fed from sta¬ 
bles during the winter. My hog pen and yards are an¬ 
other great help in making and collecting manure. Their 
manure is thrown from the pens into a yard, together 
with all refuse from the kitchen, occasional!}’’ a few 
lo-ads of leaves, coal dust, horn shavings, refuse hair 
