1849. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
379 
Charles Eaton and Brothers have had 700 acres 
of land planted in broom corn the present season, 450 
acres of which were rented at $5 an acre. Much of 
this land has been devoted to broom corn for five years 
in succession. The crop, after being cured, is sent 
chiefly to New-York. 
Crops in North-Carolina.— Mr. S J. Wheeler, 
of Murfreesboro, writes—“ Corn and pea crops are very 
good all through the eastern counties of our State; in* 
deed I never saw heavier crops on the Roanoke, than 
I have seen during the past month.” 
The last Wheat Crop in Northwestern Ohio. 
—Mr. S. H. Arnold, of Seneca county, writes-— 
“ Wheat the present year is poor in quantity and qual¬ 
ity ; the injury being caused by the ‘ wheat midge 7 and 
rust. This county will not average half the usual 
yield. The fall-sown wheat looks well.” 
Starch from Indian Corn. —The Ohio Statesman 
informs us that large quantities of starch are made from 
this grain in that State. An establishment near Co¬ 
lumbus is said to use 20,000 bushels of corn annually for 
this purpose. No attention is now paid to the color of 
the corn, as by the improved modes of manufacturing, 
as light-colored starch is produced from the dark-color¬ 
ed varieties, as from white. The quality of the starch 
here made is said to be superior, commanding a higher 
price in New-York and New-Orleans than that made from 
wheat. The offal of the grain is fed to hogs, and at 
the manufactory alluded to, 500 to 600 head are annu¬ 
ally fattened. 
Peat Charcoal. —Sometime since, we mentioned 
that extensive experiments were going on in England 
and Ireland, with peat charcoal as a deodorizer or dis¬ 
infectant. By late accounts we learn that it has been 
successfully used for the purpose of rendering the con¬ 
tents of privies inodorous, and thus bringing them into 
a portable condition. It is thought that the substance 
will be brought into general use in large towns and 
cities, and that it will be of great utility, not only in an 
agricultural, but in a sanitory view. Mr. Rogers, who 
first brought the substance to notice for this purpose, 
gives some important results in regard to the applica¬ 
tion of peat charcoal in preventing the escape of odors 
from sewers, cess-pools, &e. He states that instead of 
removing the contents of such receptacles in warm 
weather, it is only necessary to cover the surface 
with two or three inches of the peat charcoal. Several 
experiments are cited where this had been done, and no 
odor arose for several months. 
Potato Disease not caused by Insects. —Mr. 
Curtis, a distinguished English entomologist, has just 
published a volume in reference to insects which attack 
the potato. Speaking of the malady which has pre¬ 
vailed so extensively in potatoes for several years, he 
remarks—“ Amongst the numerous causes which have 
been assigned for the appearance of this alarming and 
severe visitation, insects have been frequently taxed as 
the destructive agents; but I am convinced the calami¬ 
ty is not to be attributed to their presence.” He ad¬ 
mits that there are many species of insects which prey 
upon the potato in its various stages; but he thinks 
there is no evidence that their attacks are in any way 
connected with what is called the potato disease. 
Cellars for Manure. —The claimants for the pre¬ 
miums on farms, offered by the Middlesex (Mass.) Ag¬ 
ricultural Society, generally speak highly of the advan¬ 
tages of keeping manure in cellars. R. Chaffin states 
that he considers one load of manure composted in the 
cellar under his barn, worth three which have been ex¬ 
posed to the action of frost, rain, evaporation, &c. His 
cellar is closed, excluding the frost and rain altogether. 
His cows are kept in the barn, nights, all the year; 
their manure goes into the cellar, where hogs are kept 
to root over the different materials, and mix them into 
a compost. 
Protection of Crops. —-In many parts of the coun¬ 
try, the grain-fields of the farmer suffer serious damage 
from the depredations of wild birds and animals. The 
common wild pigeon often does great injury by pulling 
up spring grain, especially Indian corn, near where 
their roosts or breeding places are established. They 
go in flocks, and destroy a field of many acres in a 
few minutes. Various means have been adopted to 
keep off the birds, such as placing images and other 
objects in the field, with but little advantage. It has 
been suggested that hawks might be trained in such a 
way as to prevent pigeons from lighting on grain-fields. 
In the days of falconry, several species of hawks were 
trained for the pursuit of game. We have one or more 
species in this country, which naturally prey on pigeons 
to a considerable extent. The pigeon-hawk, (Falco 
columbarius ,) is an object of perfect terror to the pi¬ 
geon. Whether it could be trained to answer the pur¬ 
pose suggested is doubtful; but from the great dread 
manifested towards it by the pigeon, it might be suffi¬ 
cient to confine the hawk in some conspicuous situation 
in the field. 
Ohio Mineral Paint.— -We have received a pam¬ 
phlet giving an account of the discovery of this article, 
and describing its properties and mode of application. 
The history of its discovery is as follows: y 
About two years ago, near the town of Akron, Ohio, 
a singular substance was discovered at the bottom of a 
brook, resembling in its character and appearance, 
flakes of the purest indigo, and of the consistency of 
hard clay or cold tallow. This was at first regarded 
with but little interest, until some individuals, attracted 
by its singular qualities and appearance, were induced 
to make some experiments with it. Subsequent to this, 
however, it was also found to exist in greater quanti¬ 
ties at some considerable depth from the surface of the 
earth, and on being taken from the mine and exposed to 
the atmosphere, it became completely indurated, re¬ 
sembling slate, or lumps of anthracite coal. This was 
finally around, and mixed with linseed oil, and applied 
as a paint, and it gradually hardened until it changed 
to stone, perfectly protecting any substance it covered, 
from air, moisture and fire. 
It is said to be susceptible of being made of various 
shades of color, from a cream and fawn to a blue, dark 
brown and black; that it readily mixes with the drying 
oils, and requires no particular skill in the mode of 
preparation, and is recommended as more economical 
than other paints. The composition of the original 
substance is given as follows: 
Magnesia,.-28 per cent. 
Alumina,. 26 “ “ 
Silex,...,.15 “ “ 
Oxide of Iron,. 11 u c< 
Sulphate of Iron,. 9 “ t( 
Lime, . . 8 “ “ 
Carbon,. 3 ft 11 
100 
W. H. Starr, 67 Beekman-street, New-York, is 
agent for this paint. 
Cultivation of Cranberries.—Sylvester Reeves, 
of Wayland, Mass., states to the officers of the Mid¬ 
dlesex County Agricultural Society, that he has made 
an experiment in regard to the cultivation of cranber¬ 
ries. In 1841 he commenced setting out vines on a 
sandy loam, near a stream, which was liable to over¬ 
flow its banks during freshets. The soil had been once 
plowed several years before, and the surface left very 
uneven, and so left to become swarded over. The 
cranberry vines were set out in sods of ten inches 
square, the sod of the ground to be planted having been 
