J12 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
REWARD OF INDUSTRY AND SKILL. 
Our correspondent “ Indicator,” gives some inte¬ 
resting facts in regard to the success of a man, who, un¬ 
der many discouragements, bought a farm of seventy four 
acres near Buffalo, about twelve years since. The man 
was an Englishman by birth, though he was not brought 
up to farming. At the time he bought the farm, it was 
thought so poor that while commencing operations, and 
making his garden, his neighbors told him he was throw¬ 
ing away his labor, for the land could not be made to 
produce anything. In purchasing and paying for the 
land he was forced to encounter serious difficulties and to 
forego many comforts. We are informed that he even 
had to trade away his watch to get a wagon, and his 
cloak or over-coat to get a part of a stack of hay, to 
feed his team upon before grass could be grown. But 
under all these discouraging hardships, he persevere- 
ingly continued his efforts, which have at last been crown¬ 
ed with success equal to his anticipations. “ He har¬ 
vests” (it is said) “as good crops as any one, and much 
better than many of those who are in possession of farms 
called the best,.” To the original seventy-four acres for 
which he had so hard a struggle to pay, he has added 
fifty more, giving him a farm of 124 acres, which we are 
told is all paid for, and that he has built on it one good 
frame barn, has cleared off the logs, stumps, and stones. 
His fences are said to be better than on most farms, and 
he is making experiments with live hedges. He has a 
flock of two hundred sheep, which it is said have been 
so much improved by a buck of the Leicestershire 
breed which he bought several years ago, that for three 
years in succession he has carried the first prizes for 
bucks of that kind, at the county show; and people come 
from a great distance to buy his young bucks. He has 
“nine head of cattle; a pair of fine stout mares; pigs 
and poultry; more and better tools than most farmers 
around him; with several hundred dollars out at inte¬ 
rest ! ! 
“ Indicator” informs us that his neighbor, besides do¬ 
ing all this, “ has always kept his children at school, 
summer and winter.” 
In conclusion “Indicator” says — (t I fancy I hear 
some incredulous one say — e You tell us how well your 
neighbor has done, but you do not tell us how he has 
done it!’ I answ r er, he has been constantly industrious 
and careful, and has observed the maxim of Dr. Frank¬ 
lin, published in his “ Poor Richard” almanac_ “ Al¬ 
ways spend something less than thy clear gains!” Last¬ 
ly, we are informed, that “he has for several years been 
a subscriber to the Cultivator .” 
FAT ANIMALS. 
We noticed the carcasses of some remarkable cattle, 
sheep, and hogs, exhibited in the Centre Market in this 
city, on the 22d of February. There was the Durham 
ox, not quite six years old, which received the first pre¬ 
mium on fat oxen at the Poughkeepsie State Show, bred 
and fatted by D. D. Campbell, Esq., of Schenectady, 
which weighed as follows; 
Live weight,..... 2,546 lbs., 
Beef—four quarters,. 1,726 e< 
Hide,..... 121 « 
Loose fat, .. 255 “ 
2,102 lbs. 
A spayed heifer, between four and five years old, bred 
and fattened by P. N. Rust, of Syracuse, weighed— 
Four quarters,.. •.. 1,226 lbs., 
Hide, . 84 
Loose fat, . 180 « 
1,490 
This remarkable animal was said to have descended 
on one side from some cattle imported from Holland, 
several years since, by Mr. Linklean, of Madison coun¬ 
ty; but her fine bone, symmetry, and color, strongly in¬ 
dicated a mixture of Durham and Devon blood. We 
believe that she had always been kept in the stable; and 
we would suggest the query, whether this circumstance' 
had any influence in lessening the weight of the hide? 
which it will be seen was of uncommon lightness. 
Among the sheep, we noticed the carcass of a cross¬ 
bred South Down and Leicester wether, bred and fed 
by P. N. Rust; the neat weight of which was 183 lbs. 
or over 45 lbs. per quarter. 
All the above animals were exhibited at the stalls of 
Kirkpatrick & Co. 
At the stall of McGuigan & Walsh, we observed the 
carcass of a Cotswold wether, weighing 172 lbs., fatted 
by Mr. Knickerbacker, of Schaghticoke. This was a 
most extraordinary carcass of mutton, exceeding any¬ 
thing we had before seen in weight, in proportion to 
bone. 
But the greatest wonders and curiosities were in the 
Pork Department. Mr. G. Swartz exhibited the car¬ 
casses of three hogs—one of which, 2 years 7 months 
old, weighed 975 lbs! Another—of the Berkshire 
breed, a well-formed and symmetrical animal, 2 years 3 
months old, 725 lbs. Another, ten months old, showing 
much China blood, 400 lbs., as perfect a pig as could 
well be imagined. The largest hog was said to be of 
the <{ Byfield breed,” but it is evident that the blood of 
some larger and coarser breed must have predominated. 
It may be interesting to compare the weights of these 
animals with some which have carried prizes at shows 
in England. The London Farmers’ Journal gives the 
weights ot some of the prize oxen, sheep, and pigs, 
which were exhibited at the last Smithfield Show. Of 
the cattle, the weight of the beef and loose fat or tallow 
only is given. A four yrs. old Durham ox— 
Quarters,. 1,768 
Loose fat,. 192 
1,960 
A four years old Hereford ox— 
Quarters, . 1,590 
Loose fat,. 192 
i,7S2 
Another Durham ox four years old, weighed— 
Quarters, only—. 1,840 lbs. 
The weight of Mr. Campbell's ox—compared with 
these—that is, the beef and tallow only—was 1,981 lbs. 
—but there was a difference of near two years in his 
favor. 
The weights of no Cotswold or other long-wooled 
sheep are mentioned. A South Down wether, bred by 
the Duke of Bedford, weighed 172 lbs—or 43 pounds 
per quarter. 
WHEAT CULTURE. 
Mr. W. Orcum of Maryland, after proposing some in¬ 
quiries in regard to the best mode of manuring the land 
for wheat, gives the following as his own management; 
“ My plan has been to break my fallow fields before har¬ 
vest; stir it after harvest; spread manure, and harrow it, 
then sow two bushels of wheat per acre, then harrow and 
cross harrow. I use three horse plows and three horse 
harrows, and plow about ten inches deep. Some farmers 
spread the manure first, and plow it in, and use the sho- 
:vel plow to put the wheat in. I have tried this plan, but 
prefer the other. As to my pasture fields, I sow in March 
lor April, 1| bushels ground plaster per acre. Some per¬ 
sons consider so large a quantity injurious to the land; but 
I have never found it so. But on the contrary, my clo¬ 
ver crops have been remarkably fine, and I have attribu¬ 
ted it entirely to the plaster. In the spring of 1843, I 
sowed in “a 35 acre field,” li bushels plaster per acre, 
(which had been pastured for two years.) In the sum¬ 
mer of 1843, it was pastured again, and after harvest, I 
had it broken up with a three horse plow, spread manure 
and harrowed it; sowed 69^ bushels wheat, which was 
harrowed and cross harrowed. This was seeded Sept. 
28, 1843, and harvested July 1st and 2d, 1844. The 
wheat weighed 63£ lbs. per bushel, and I think there was 
from 27 to 30 bushels per acre. Whereas, in a field of 
85 acres, I pursued the other plan. I did not sow any 
plaster, but manured with barn yard manure, spreading 
it before plowing, and plowing it under. I had the 
