1850. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
277 
can be swung to any part of the mow, and there 
dropped, thus saving entirely the mowing away. 
The apparatus, windlass, &c., can be removed from 
one barn to another in a few moments, and thus be 
made to answer for any number of barns desired. 
Farmers wishing to build or buy the apparatus, can 
obtain it, or drawings representing it, by applying 
to me at Rochester, N. Y. J. A. H. Ellis. Ro¬ 
chester, May 6th, 1850. 
Preparing Land for a Crop. 
A farmer has a field of clayey loam, which requires 
a weeks work at least to prepare it for corn, oats, or 
barley. Now how ought he to proceed? 
It is not uncommon to see such lots turned over, and 
the furrow-slice left day after day, to dry and bake in 
the sun, without the least attention till the plowing of 
the whole field is completed. 
Weil, what better could he do? 
Reduce what he has plowed to a fine tilth while it 
is moist and easily crumbles,—not leaving it to lie one 
day before he puts on the harrow or the drag-roller. A 
small share of labor at this time will do twice as much 
to pulverize the soil, as -when it has hardened like an 
unburnt brick. 
What! stop the plow-before finishing the field! Farm¬ 
ers that drive a-head don’t do so. 
That is, they drive one day a-head, and leave their 
work two days behind. But let me ask what is the 
use of plowing land? 
The use? why to put the ground in order—you could 
not expect a crop without it. 
Neither ought we to expect more than half a crop 
when it is only half pulverized. If we plow 8 inches 
deep, and one half of this soil is in hard clods, how 
much better is it than to plow T 4 inches deep, and have 
it thoroughly pulverized? How much better is a clod 
on the field than a stone'l An Old Farmer. 
Experiments in Dissolving Bones. 
Eds. Cultivator- —After reading Prof. Norton’s 
interesting letter on the value of bones as a manure, 
I procured a load of bones (mostly the skulls of 
sheep) from a slaughter-house, and commenced the 
operation as detailed below. 
Having procured a large flat granite rock, I 
placed it beside the pile of bones. I crushed 130 
lbs. of them w r ith a sledge hammer, and put them in 
a large barrel, pounding them down as they were 
put in. A carboy of sulphuric acid was then ob¬ 
tained from a druggist in Boston. The bill for the 
same ran thus: 
1 Carboy oil of vitriol, 125 lbs.,. $3 75 
Carting,. 25 
Carboy j..... 1 50 
Freight,. 67 
$6 17 
This acid did not run thick, as Prof. Norton said, 
but rather thin. It would not burn wood nor char 
hones, but it would burn straw. This leads me to 
suspect that it had been diluted with water. 
I took an old pail which held 10 quarts up to a 
certain mark. I poured into the pail five qts. of 
water and an equal quantity of acid, which ought 
to weigh 20 lbs., if good. Five qts. more of cold 
water was now added, and in about three hours the 
liquid was turned into the pail, and then turned on 
the bones again. This was repeated frequently on 
the two succeeding days, adding as much more acid 
and water on each day. 
I practiced turning off the liquid and pouring it 
on the bones as a subsitute for stirring, as that was 
impossible in this case. I cannot see how crushed 
bones can be stirred and turned over in a barrel or 
hogshead. I hope some of your correspondents will 
enlighten us on this point. This experiment com¬ 
menced on the 16th of May, and I expected to have 
the bones fit for use by the 21st, but they were not 
wholly dissolved till the 1st of June, so that I can¬ 
not use any of them on my corn without it is put on 
top of the ground. 
I have just dissolved 90 lbs. more of bones in the 
same barrel, in about ten days, with about 11 qts. 
of acid, using boiling water, and proportionally a 
less quantity than before. The first barrel did not 
dissolve very rapidly, till the weather grew warm, 
near the first of June. 
My object in writing this article, is to elicit re¬ 
marks from those who have had practical experience 
in this method of manufacturing manure- I wish to 
know what to do with these bones? Will it be pro¬ 
fitable to sow them on the ground this fall, with 
fall rye, where the ground is to be stocked down? 
What test have we to ascertain the quality of sul¬ 
phuric acid? Will dissolved bones pay for this ex¬ 
pense, in Vermont? I have 2000 lbs. of large bones. 
Will it be profitable for me to burn them for use? 
Warren Hutchins. Bethel , Vt., July 1, 1850. 
Wisconsin as a Farming Section. 
Eds. Cultivator —Noticing in aback number, a re¬ 
quest that some one from Wisconsin would give you an 
article on the usual method of farming in this state, and 
the best sections of it for that business, I herewith 
submit a brief account derived from six years residence 
in the state. 
First, as regards the best section of the state for 
farming. This is a hard question t*o decide, where all 
is good, and where it is claimed that each section is 
best. But, from a pretty extensive acquaintance with 
the whole state, I think the counties of Fond du Lac, 
Winnebago, Marquette, and Dodge, possess greater 
advantages for successful and profitable farming than 
any others. These counties are agreeably diversified 
with prairies, oak openings, and timber land. They 
are generally well watered with springs, and spring- 
brooks, while larger streams afford a greater quantity 
of water-power than is often met with in the west or 
even at the east. The natural meadows, or low prai¬ 
ries afford a sufficient quantity of good hay to supply 
the wants of the inhabitants. The Fox river, and lake 
Winnebago afford a good natural communication with 
the east. They have running on them steam and other 
boats connecting with the boats running to Buffalo. 
For grazing, the country is admirably adapted: and 
sweeter or better butter cannot be made in any other 
part of the United States than is here made. Having 
formerly lived in Orange County, N. Y., I speak 
advisedly on this subject. 
Sheep do well, and from the pure bracing air, can 
be kept in larger flocks than usual; while from the 
boundless pasturage that lies common, there is no neces¬ 
sity for close stocking. 
In wheat raising, the great staple, the country is 
not surpassed, perhaps, in the world. Here, fields 
yield this crop year after year, and with most slovenly 
cultivation. 
Secondly, as to the course of cultivation pursued on 
the prairies and openings. The land is enclosed with 
a rail, board or ditch fence. It is then broken up with 
from two to six yoke of cattle. The width of the 
furrow turned over varies from 12 to 30 inches, and 
is from 1| to three inches thick. The larger the team 
is, the more economical, as a heavy team will break so 
much more with the same force of men, as to more 
than pay for the difference in the number of oxen. The 
