844 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
July? 
ed in France, chiccoree de cafe. It is supposed to 
have been derived from Egypt, where, as well as in 
Arabia, it is much used as human food. The adul¬ 
teration of coffee by this substance, is thought by 
some to rather improve than injure the flavor of the 
coffee, and even to render it more wholesome. The 
demand for the roots for this purpose, has rendered 
its cultivation very profitable in certain districts. 
The plant is also cultivated for forage, the tender 
stems and leaves being much relished by cattle and 
sheep The plant is perennial, and will, it is said, 
yield good crops year after year, on the same 
ground. The North British Agriculturist gives 
the following directions in regard to its cultivation: 
“ To do justice, it should be sown on clean land, 
in good condition, to insure a fair return. After 
the land has received a deep winter furrow, and been 
twice plowed in spring, and perfectly clear of root 
weeds, we would recommend it to be sown in drills, 
at from 11 to 16 inches broad, according to the rich¬ 
ness of the soil. The drills may be formed by a neat 
slight paring plow; from 4 to 5 pounds may sow an 
acre, as the plants, when left for food, should stand 
from 4 to 8 inches apart in the row. Some advise 
not to sow till May, as some of the plants, if sown 
earlier, may be apt to run to seed the first year. 
Should the plants be intended to remain for years to 
yield forage, a few plants running to seed the first 
season can do little harm. If the stems be cut over 
before they are far advanced, the root will receive 
little damage. We have found it a safe practice to 
sow about the middle of April ; but where the root 
for grinding is the object, as they, in that case, are 
all to be taken up for use in the autumn, it may be 
as well to defer sowing till the end of April, after 
which period few will be found to run to seed the 
first season.” 
The best time Cutting Timber. 
A pamphlet has been published under the supervi¬ 
sion of A. S. Roberts, Esq., Corr. Secretary of the 
Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, in 
reference to the best time for cutting timber for fen¬ 
cing and other agricultural purposes. It embra¬ 
ces the substance of letters received from various 
persons, who had been requested to communicate 
the results of their observation on this subject. The 
writers do not profess to found their opinions on ex¬ 
periments conducted in such a manner as to fully 
settle the question; on the contrary, so far as con¬ 
clusions are given, they are drawn from such facts 
as have fallen in the way of the respective individu¬ 
als. For this reason, it is not, perhaps, strange 
that they should present great diversity—-some being 
in favor of the winter as the best time, others the 
spring, others midsummer, and others autumn. Se¬ 
veral, perhaps a majority, of the writers are in fa¬ 
vor of June, or that part of the season when the 
bark will most easily peel off. Such has been the 
conclusion to which our own observation has tended. 
It may be here suggested as probable, that the ge¬ 
neral durability of timber cut at this season of the 
year, is attributable to its being divested of its 
bark as soon as cut, and exposed at once to the dry¬ 
ing influence of the atmosphere, which soon evapo¬ 
rates the moisture, causing so great a shrinkage as 
effectually to close the pores, rendering it there¬ 
after almost impervious to the agents of decomposi¬ 
tion. 
Mr. Roberts suggests the propriety of soaking 
fresh-cut timber in a solution of lime. He thinks 
the sap might in this way be displaced by a deposite 
of lime, or that the lime might combine with the 
acid of the sap, which would thus be neutralised and 
rendered inactive. The suggestion is reasonable 
and is not unsupported by actual results. Mr. R. 
quotes from what he considers a “ well-written ar¬ 
ticle by an anonymous correspondent ” of the Ame¬ 
rican Agriculturist , vol. viii, p. 274, in reference 
to the causes of decay in timber. That article was 
certainly ‘’well written,” and attracted our atten¬ 
tion when it appeared originally in the London 
Gardeners' Chronicle , by whose editor, the celebra¬ 
ted botanist, Dr. Lindley, it was probably writ¬ 
ten. It had the signature of “ B.,” in the Agri¬ 
culturist. _ 
Strength of Wire. 
As the subject of wire fences is now receiving 
considerable attention, and as inquiry hasbeen made 
in regard to the strength of different descriptions of 
wire, we give the following table from an essay 
which lately received a prize from the Highland and 
Agricultural Society of Scotland. It shows the num¬ 
ber of pounds each of the sizes of various kinds 
sustained before breaking. The lengths tested were 
ten feet. The wire called “common ” was the or¬ 
dinary wire of commerce, and is said to be made 
mostly from the coarser sorts of iron. The pre¬ 
pared ” wire is made from a finer description of iron, 
is more carefully manufactured, and is superior in 
quality to the former. “Charcoal” wire is consi¬ 
dered the best and strongest of any of the qualities 
made. It is drawn from iron which is worked chief¬ 
ly by wood charcoal. The “annealed” wire is 
considered “ the very worst that can be put into a 
fence. From its being soft, it is readily stretched 
by any weight or pressure that may be brought to 
bear against it ; and as a consequence is thrown from 
one side to the other, as stock may happen to touch 
it.” It is said also, to oxydise, or rust more easily 
than any other kinds. 
Common Wire. 
No. 8 broke with 590 lbs. t 
No. 6 do. do. 844 do. \ Without perceptibly stretching. 
No. 4 do. do. 1269 do. ) 
Annealed Wire. 
No. 8 broke with 605 lbs.—stretched about 4| inches. 
No. 6 do. do. 832 do.— do do 3 do. 
No. 4 do. do. 1282 do.— do do 2 do. 
Prepared Wire. 
No. 8 broke with 955 lbs.—stretched about 1 inch. 
No. 6 do; do. 1380 do.— do do f do. 
No. 4 do. do. 2163 do.— do do j do. 
Charcoal Wire. 
No. 8 broke with 1274 lbs. 
No. 6 do. do. 1762 do. 
No. 4 do. do. 2656 do. 
! Stretched about the same as pre¬ 
pared wire. 
Good and Bad Management. 
During a rifle in our county not many weeks ago, 
I could but notice a noble looking orchard, of a hun¬ 
dred trees, planted more than twenty years ago, by 
the man who now lives upon it. Yet that orchard 
hardly produces good fruit enough to supply the fa¬ 
mily of the owner, and the sour dwarfed fruit is of 
no particular value for swine or cider. His neigh¬ 
bor not far off has an orchard some fivn years young¬ 
er, of about half the size, and in a more unfavora¬ 
ble location; yet he supplies himself and many of 
his neighbors, and sells enough of his noble pippins 
and greenings to pay his hired men, and keep his 
bill for family groceries from accumulating. The se¬ 
cret of all the difference is, the latter man actually 
expended $5 in grafting that orchard, and has occa¬ 
sionally expended an hour’s labor in pruning and cul¬ 
tivating those grateful trees. 
During that ride, I saw a man feeding ten long, 
lank, lean swine, which will hardly furnish his fami- 
