1849. _ THE CULTIVATOR. _373 
The deficiency is owing to drouth, and not to the 
prevalence of the disease, which for several years 
has been so destructive to this crop. Of this mala¬ 
dy, the cause of which has so long furnished a fer¬ 
tile subject of speculation, we have heard but little 
the past season, either in this country or from 
Europe. Enough of it, however, has appeared on 
both continents, to show that it is not yet extinct. 
Whether it is to return in future years, we can form 
no reasonable conjecture. In regard to remedies 
or means of prevention, we have nothing new to 
offer. 
Dairy 'products have been lessened in quantity by 
the drouth. In some instances, we have heard the 
amount of butter and cheese estimated at twenty- 
five per cent, less than a common average. From 
the general extension of the business, however, it 
is supposed that the whole quantity brought into 
market, will be at least equal to that of any previ¬ 
ous year. 
Fruits in general, have, with other crops, expe¬ 
rienced the effects of protracted drouth. Apples 
are scarce. In some districts, the fruit set well, 
but became stunted from lack of moisture, appa¬ 
rently, and is comparatively of a diminutive size. 
The high price in market indicates the deficiency of 
the crop. Pears are not as plenty, nor of as good 
size as usual. The blight of the tree has been less 
prevalent in this vicinity, than in some former years. 
Plums may be said to be the only fruit of which 
there was an abundance in this vicinity. Of this 
crop, we had none in 1848, and from the trees thus 
having a year of rest, their capacity for production 
was probably increased; and hence they bore ex¬ 
cessively the past season—many trees, where at¬ 
tention was not given to lighten the burden, having 
been broken down. There were more peaches in 
the northern sections of the country, than are usu¬ 
ally obtained; though they a!re never found here in 
large quantities. 
The weather during autumn has been mild. A 
frost occurred on the morning of the third of Sep¬ 
tember, but not of sufficient severity to do injury, 
except in particular situations ; where corn, pota¬ 
toes, beans, &e., were nipped. There was no ge¬ 
neral frost to affect vegetation, till the first of Oc¬ 
tober, and even up to the first of November, it was 
only on a few mornings, that frost was visible at 
all. Many of our gardens presented a freshness of 
foliage in the middle of October, which in ordinary 
seasons is not met with later than the middle of 
September. This was partly owing to the renewed 
energies of vegetation from the effects of rain, after 
the partial dormancy occasioned by drouth. The 
The same effect was visible in the greenness of pas¬ 
tures and grass-fields, which in the eastern part of 
New-York and parts of New-England, were well 
covered with verdure, from about the middle of Au¬ 
gust to the close of the season. Copious and ex¬ 
tensive rains fell during the month of October, re¬ 
plenishing the streams and fountains, which had 
been lower than for many previous years. 
Crops in Europe are represented as generally 
good. In Great Britain, the grain harvest is said 
to be bountiful. 
Black-Sea Wheat. 
Eds. Cultivator— In an article on ce Farming 
in Missouri,” in your October No., the writer, Mr. 
Hammond, speaks of the failure of the wheat crop 
in his section, by rust, winter-killing, &c. It occur¬ 
red to me that if the farmers there had our variety 
of the Black Sea wheat, and should adopt our prac¬ 
tice of spring sowing, these difficulties might in a 
good degree be avoided. The Black Sea wheat is 
sown any time from the tenth of March to the tenth 
of June, and from its doing well under these circum¬ 
stances, I am led to conclude it would flourish in a 
more southern latitude. It yields in Vermont, in 
good soil, as high as 30 to 40 bushels per acre, and 
weighs 64 lbs. to the bushel. Jonathan Wainwright, 
of this town, in 1846, raised 30 acres, which I was 
credibly informed yielded 30 bushels to the acre, of 
the above weight. This, however, was not done on 
the “ skinning process,” but by a liberal applica¬ 
tion of ashes and stable manure, and thorough pre¬ 
paration of the ground. Elisha Fuller. Mid- 
dlebury, Vt., Oct. 22, 1849. 
Yield of Butter. 
Eds. Cultivator —Having lately prepared a re¬ 
port on Dairy Products for the present year, in the 
county of Essex, Mass., I abstract therefrom the 
following facts, which may afford some data for the 
comparison of the products of this northern region 
with other more favored climes. The time of the 
production of the butter was nearly, in each case, 
from the 24th of May, to the 24th of September, 
124 days. 
Claimant. 
Residence. 
No. of Cows. 
Amt in lbs. 
Daily av. 
per cow. 
John Stone,. 
Marblehead, 
% 
620 
1.25 
Daniel Putnam,. 
Danvers, ... 
6 
744 
.94 
Elijah Pope, .... 
do 
4 
434 
.87 
Chas. P. Preston, 
do 
8 
786 
.88 
George Pearson, 
Saugus, .... 
6 
652 
.95 
Nath’l. Felton,.. 
Danvers, ... 
8 
884 
.93 
Jonathan Berry, 
Middleton,.. 
Newherry,.. 
8 
790 
.88 
D. McNaughton, 
5 
490 
.75 
John Preston,... 
Danvers, ... 
4 
366 
.84 
N. D. Hawks, .. 
Lynnfield, .. 
4 
340 
.75 
57 
6106 lbs 
Being an average product of about seven-eighths 
of a pound per cow, daily through the season; and 
about one pound daily per cow through the month of 
June. All these cows, except two belonging to 
Mr. Pearson, were 11 natives.” Those of the first- 
named claimant, Mr. Stone, were all of one stock. 
The mother of them, five years since, afforded 16£ 
lbs. in a week. This has a tendency to prove that 
ec like produces like.” They are without horns. 
The feed of the cows was generally common pas¬ 
ture. When the drouth came on in August, they 
were supplied with green corn and cornstalks. If 
these facts are thought worthy of your notice, I am 
happy to communicate them for your excellent 
Journal. John W. Proctor. Danvers, Oct. 25. 
Fat in Animals. 
Much has been said in regard to the importance 
of the oily principle in the food of animals designed 
to be fattened; the idea being entertained by some 
that the fat is derived wholly from that source. 
We have always thought the theory was carried 
farther than facts would warrant; because it does 
not appear that animals fatten in proportion to the 
oil contained in their food; and because, when ani¬ 
mals are kept on exactly the same kinds and quan¬ 
tities of food, they do not secrete equal quantities 
of fat. If a Berkshire pig and a Chinese pig are 
fed precisely alike, the one makes chiefly lean meat 
and the other fat; and there is the same difference 
in some kinds of cattle. 
We learn from the London Farmer’s Magazine, 
that the French chemist, Boussingault, has lately 
made some experiments in relation to this subject, 
the results of which are worthy of note. Eds. 
