THE CULTIVATOR. 
27 
servations over fifteen of the States of the Union, I have 
never seen a good efficient hedge occupying the place of 
orjlinary farm fences. And yet the attention of farmers 
has been directed to it ever since the country was settled; 
th$ oldest American writers recommend them; seeds 
were imported to plant them a century ago; and all these 
efforts have been continued to the present day with in¬ 
creased force each year. And yet there is not*, so far as I 
kntnv, a single farm in the United States protected by 
hedges, in all its parts, or in any considerable portion of 
them. The economical farmer, therefore, will look to 
some other mode of fencing for protection; and, as said 
abhve, that which his land affords most plentifully and 
most easily of access, is the cheapest and best for him. 
Jj must not omit a few words more upon deep plowing. 
I kuow it is the general opinion that we must not plow 
so deep as to turn up the “ hard pan ” of clay, or the 
white gravel, &c. &c. I am very certain this is a very 
great popular error. If we had a plow that would turn 
up the earth two feet deep, f do not care what the sub¬ 
soil may be, in five years the fertile, soil would be two 
feet deep. I admit, that generally a very stinted crop 
would be produced for the first two or three seasons; but 
I also assert, that the third or fourth and all subsequent 
seasons, will pay not only for all the deficiencies of the 
first two or three, but an hundred fold interest. Where- 
ever a deep working plow has been used, the drouths of 
a dry season are not felt. The roots of plants pass deep¬ 
ly into the earth, and the burning suns and parching 
winds pass over them harmlessly. The subsoil plow is 
a good thing. It enables the farmer to avail himself of 
most of the advantages of deep plowing without any sac¬ 
rifice of the first and second season’s crop; but then it 
does not turn up this subsoil—it merely loosens it, ena¬ 
bling the roots to pass deeply. The roots, however, get 
no other advantage in this deep rooting, than that of 
protection from drouth; they get no nourishment in 
those depths. The protection from drouth, however, is 
an important consideration, and should always be availed 
of. But I would seek this advantage always when I could 
by the use of the deep plow, even at the sacrifice of a 
portion or even all the first two or three crops. 
The saving of manure is the next, and though last 
here, not the least important matter for consideration. 
Every thing of a vegetable or animal kind, useless for 
other purposes, on a farm, should be gathered and saved 
for manure. A convenient compost yard and pit should 
be provided. The dung from the stables, the weeds from 
the fields, the chaff and offal straw, cornstalks, &c., the 
kitchen waters, contents of chambers , and all of such 
things, should be cast into the pit. The pit should be so 
situated that the drainings of urine, &c. from the stables 
should pass into it. A shed should be built over it to 
protect it from rains, and the effects of the sun's rays. 
Plaster of Paris should be sown over the surface of the 
manure pit once a week during wai*m weather, to catch 
and fix the volatile ammonia that will be continually 
passing off. If such a thing as a leisure day happen, 
(which, by the way, I do not see how a good farmer can 
ever have even a leisure moment,) the leaves from the 
woods may be profitably gathered and thrown into the 
pit. Twice a year, say in April and October, the con¬ 
tents of the pit should be taken out, thoroughly mixed 
and piled up to digest for a week or two or even a 
month. In forming the piles, if you have any swamp 
mud or bog earth, you may very properly add two or 
three loads of this to each load of the contents of the pit, 
taking care to mix them well. After the pile has stood 
a sufficient length of time, the compost may be carried 
out and spread over the land, either as a top dressing, or 
to be plowed in before seeding. 
These are my views of the improvement of worn out 
and all other land. I submit them with great deference 
to the farmers of my country. Should they disagree with 
me in any or all particulars, I trust they will attribute my 
errors to at least good motives. I desire to do some good 
in my day, and the agricultural interest is, above all oth¬ 
ers, the most worthy of my efforts in my opinion. It cer¬ 
tainly has my best affections and wishes. 
Gideon B. Smith. 
Baltimore , Nov.. 1844. 
HALL’S STUMP MACHINE—(Fig. 10.) 
Luther Tucker, Esq.— I have the pleasure of an¬ 
swering your inquiries in relation to Hall’s Stump Ma¬ 
chine, the model of which you have seen. 
Mr. R. Hall's Slump Machine, to which the State Society 
recently awarded the premium and silver medal, has 
been used on my farm in pulling 400 or 500 pine stumps 
of the worst description, and I found its operation supe¬ 
rior in all respects to any machine I have used or seen. 
Mr. Hall has spent six years, and near ten thousand 
dollars, in bringing his machine to its present state of ex¬ 
cellence; and certainly deserves great credit for his per¬ 
severance as well as ingenuity. 
The machine requires three men and a boy, with a 
small horse, to work it to advantage. Its cost, with all 
the chains, levers, &c., is from $300 to $400. 
Upon some of our best lands in the southern counties, 
the Stump Machine must precede all agricultural imple¬ 
ments but the axe. The expense is considerable, being 
from 15 to 25 cents per stump, but the ground is thereby 
thoroughly cleaned to any depth. The stumps are either 
made into fence or burnt: the plow and harrow do their 
work; the seed is sown, and the effect is like magic; the 
unsightly stumps are gone, and the whole field is like a 
garden. 
There are four or five different kinds of Stump Ma¬ 
chines now in use in this county, and some of them work 
very well; but Hall’s is the most powerful, most conve¬ 
nient in the application of power, and is least likely to 
get out of repair. 
In conclusion, I ought to state that this machine is found 
of great service in moving buildings and sunken vessels, 
and in other similar operations; but it is especially as an 
agricultural implement, of great importance, that I desire 
to bring it to the notice of agriculturists through your 
excellent paper. Very respectfully, 
Owego, N. Y., Oct. 19, 1844. Geo. J. Pumpelly. 
REMEDY FOR THE ROT IN THE POTATOE. 
Mr. Editor— I notice in the November number of the 
Cultivator, complaints made about the “ rot” in potatoes. 
I was troubled with it for many years, and having found 
a remedy, give it for the benefit of your readers. 
The rot in potatoes commenced in this section of the 
country about 10 years ago; one-third of a crop was fre¬ 
quently lost by it, and often in the spring, hundreds of 
bushels have been thrown from the cellar quite useless. 
For some years past, I have used slaked lime, which I 
sprinkle on the potatoes as soon as they are cut for seed, 
and shovel them over in it, and plant them immediately. 
Since I have adopted this plan, I have not lost a potatoe, 
either in the ground, or after they w r ere put in the cellar; 
and such of my neighbors as follow my example, are 
alike fortunate, and in no way troubled with the rot. 
When other potatoes were troubled with the rot—-three 
varieties of mine were exempt from it, viz: the ce Cups,” 
“ Black Apple,” and “Red Apple” potatoes. I shall be 
glad if any of your correspondents can explain why they, 
with the same treatment, were not subject to the rot like 
other kinds. 
I find it best to plant each kind of potatoes separate, 
otherwise if the seed is mixed, a few years will produce 
quite a different kind of potatoes. 
I have often raised seed from the potatoe balls, adopt 
ing the mode recommended in the November number. 
The potatoe will obtain its growth in four years; but the 
second year, the best variety may be selected for yield 
ing and for the table. 
About seven years since, I raised from the ball an ex- 
