114 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
acre, and it may be worked in with a cultivator, or what 
is better, turned in with a small plow. Some prefer 
planting it thick in drills, about three feet apart, in order 
to give a chance of working among it and keeping down 
the weeds and grass. The growth is thus made more ra¬ 
pid, and some who practice it, assure us that the yield is 
as great, and on some soils greater than when sown 
broadcast. Tne best mode of curing, we think, is to cut 
it shortly after the blossoms fall, bind in small bundles 
close to the top, and set in small stooks or shocks, as open 
as possible at the butts, and so tight at the top as to turn 
off the rain. Let them remain in this situation till tho¬ 
roughly dried, when they may be removed to large 
ricks, or put in a barn. As to the cheapest and best 
means of improving lands in Mississippi, stopping 
“ washes,” &c. we would refer to Mr. Affleck or to Dr. 
Phillips. Without a knowledge of the facilities for im¬ 
provement, it is impossible for us to say what course 
would be cheapest or most expedient. The gullies or 
“ washes,” may be stopped by throwing in small stones, 
brush, or small trees with the limbs on, and covering 
over with earth, taking care to prevent as much as pos¬ 
sible, the water from entering into the old channels. 
Spent tan and saw-dust. —In regard to the inquiry 
of Mr. Andrew Bush, Coventry, Pa., we remark that 
tan has been found useful as manure, particularly for 
trees and shrubbery, after it has become well decompo¬ 
sed. It is also sometimes used in a fresher state, to keep 
up the heat in hot beds. Saw-dust has been found very 
useful in ameliorating heavy or clayey soils. It makes 
also good bedding for horses or cattle, and when put in 
their stalls, is a convenient absorbent of urine. 
Windmii.l.— Mi-. William Wadsworth of Middle¬ 
sex county, Conn., inquires for a windmill that would be 
effective for threshing, sawing, &c. In our last volume 
page 202, we noticed a model of a windmill invented by 
George Parker, of Corinna, Penobscot count}’’, Maine, 
which we thought simple and cheap. Further informa¬ 
tion in regard to it, we presume could be had by address¬ 
ing Mr. Parker. 
Mangel Wurtzel., —H. Boyd, Wilkinsburgh, Pa., 
asks some information in regard to mangel wurtzel. The 
best soil for this root, is a rich light loam. The usual 
time for planting corn may be taken as proper for plant¬ 
ing this crop. It is frequently sown on ridges, two to 
three feet apart, and thinned to a foot or more in the row. 
If the soil is likely to suffer from drouth, it is best not to 
ridge it. The roots may be fed, cut in proper slices, to 
milch cows, at the rate of half a bushel to a bushel per 
day, being careful to allow plenty of hay or other dry 
fodder, lest the roots too much relax the cows. 
Virginia Lands, &c.—A correspondent, signing 
“ Franklin,” Washington, D. C., inquires for a reme¬ 
dy against the worm that eats the ends of the ears of 
green corn, or “ roasting ears.” He describes the worm 
as of a “ green- or grey color, from half an inch to two 
inches long.” He says they frequently eat down the 
whole length of the ear—that “ upon examination, there 
will generally be found a little hole perforating the 
husk, through which the worm made its ingress, or 
where the husk was punctured by a bee or insect for the 
purpose of laying an egg for producing the worm.” 
“ Franklin” thinks more of the Northern hard-working 
farmers, with small means, might go to Virginia to their 
advantage. Land, which only requires good manage¬ 
ment to produce abundant crops, he says, can be had in 
Fairfax county, or on the Baltimore and Washington 
railroad, for from $10 to $30 per acre, according to the 
quality, situation, buildings, &c. In regard to the state 
of society, he observes— 
“ In Virginia, the New Englander will find the richer 
class of farmers more open-hearted, more courteous and 
polished in manners; and the poorer class more igno¬ 
rant, and more coarse in all respects, than those he left. 
He will find less schools, less churches, and lose some¬ 
thing of the quietude of the Sabbath; while in these re¬ 
spects, he will probably be better off, than by removing 
to the West.” 
Our correspondent at West Greenfield, ee H. G.” will 
find our views, together with the views of some others, 
on the subject about which he inquires, in this paper# 
POTATOE ROT 
We give the following from a letter from Hon. John 
Crary, of Salem, in this State. His suggestions are 
worthy the consideration of our farmers: 
‘‘ The Cause of Rot in the Potatoe, and the 
way to prevent it. —The rot in the potatoe occurs in 
hot, dry seasons, and the heat and drouth prevent the 
ripening of the potatoe, and disease and decomposition 
follows. I observed during the last summer a difference in 
the potatoe crop, on the same land. Those potatoes that 
were covered deep were good as usual; those the cover¬ 
ing of which was shallow were useless, particularly for 
the table. The first symptom of failure is in the stalks of 
the potatoe; they become dry and the leaves turn black, 
the growth then ceases, and the potatoe becomes rotten 
before it is ripe. The fibers that connect the stalk with 
the potatoe quit their hold, and when you grasp the stalk 
and pull with a view to raise the potatoes out of the hill, 
the roots break and leave the potatoes, or rather slip out 
of the hill without raising the potatoes.” 
Mr. Leroy Patillo, Monroe, Georgia, writes us that 
he thinks the rot is caused by small insects, and advises 
rolling the seed-potatoes in sulphur before planting them. 
He informs us that he has used sulphur with good effects 
around plum trees in which insects had perforated the 
bark, and from which the gum oozed out. 
From a letter received from Elisha Hammond, of 
Conesville, N. Y., we extract the following facts in re¬ 
lation to the rot in potatoes. 1. “On dry, cool land, not 
very rich by putrescent manures, the crops almost en¬ 
tirely escaped.” 2. Defective potatoes fed to hogs, in 
connexion with sulphur and charcoal, have produced no 
injury. 3. In a field of potatoes, some of the rows 
crossed places on which stumps had been burned, and 
other rows a spot where potatoes had been buried the 
year before, and the straw used about them turned under 
for manure. The crop was much more rotted on these 
places, especially over old potatoe-holes, than else¬ 
where, 4. Lime has been said to be a preventive of 
rot. It proved not so in this case. Some coarse lime 
had been spread on a part of the field. Some hills, 
where the lime happened to be scattered, were particu¬ 
larly examined, ami found much more rotted than where 
nothing was put. 5. Plaster was used on most of the 
crop. Two rows were left through the field without 
plaster—no difference could be discovered between these 
and other rows, in the condition of the potatoes. 
EXPERIMENTS IN THE USE OF POUDRETTE. 
Mr. Tucker—I send you the following practical facts 
in relation to concentrated manures; a subject which is 
now commanding very general attention. I have select¬ 
ed these reports from distant parts of the country, that it 
may be seen that their effects are alike beneficial on dif¬ 
ferent soils, and in somewhat different climates. 
The first statement is an extract from a letter written 
by Augustus Shriver, Esq., of Carroll county, Md., da¬ 
ted November 22, 1844. 
“ I therefore mixed the poudrette with an equal quan¬ 
tity of ashes, anil a little plaster, and when the corn was 
cleverly up, applied about a gill to each hill, leaving 
twelve rows in the field, to which I gave the same quan¬ 
tity of ashes and plaster alone, as has heretofore been 
my custom. The corn all grew finely, and there was 
no perceptible difference in that on which the poudrette 
had been applied, until the month of July, when we 
experienced a very severe drouth, lasting about six 
weeks, when the part dressed with ashes and plaster 
alone suffered somewhat and ei fired” a little; but the ba¬ 
lance on which I put the poudrette, held its own admira¬ 
bly, and did not “ fire” a single blade, and looked 
flourishing and filled finely. I candidly believe that the 
poudrette, though so small a quantity, increased the 
yield at least ten per cent, and am so well pleased with 
this small experiment, that I will go into it on a larger 
scale next season.” 
The next report is from Mr. Floyd Howell, residing 
in the county of Onondaga, in this Stale—to whom nine¬ 
teen barrels, or 76 bushels, were sent late in November 
