THE CULTIVATOR. 
151 
not be amiss to remark that we believe cutting the tops 
from healthy potatoes while the tubers are growing, is in¬ 
jurious. This has been proved by our own experience. 
It will be noticed that “ G. S.” advises digging the pota¬ 
toes in a day or two after cutting off the tops. He may 
not perhaps be aware of the fact that the blight in many 
cases has attacked crops before the tubers were half 
grown. As to the propriety of digging, under such cir¬ 
cumstances, we are undecided. In some cases, we have 
heard of the potatoes being dug as soon as the tops had 
become blackened by the disease; in others, they have 
been left in the ground till late in the season; but the re¬ 
sults of either practice have not been so uniform as to 
justify us in saying which should be recommended. 
Rot in Potatoes. —J. Stillman, of Schenectady, in a 
letter on this subject, informs us that he has been famil¬ 
iar with the phenomenon of honey dew, for more than 
fifty years, and feels confident that it has no connexion 
with disease in the potatoe. Since reading the remarks 
of Dr. Jackson in the Nov. number of our last vol. Mr. 
S. says he has made many inquiries of observing farm¬ 
ers, but has found only one that had noticed the honey 
dew; and though this man has frequently seen it on the 
leaves of trees and vegetables, he has never witnessed 
any of the blighting effects ascribed to it by Dr. Jackson 
and Mr. Boyd. Mr. Stillman thinks that after all the 
discussion on the potatoe disease, “ we are probably as far 
from the truth as when we first started.” He has no 
faith in obviating the disease by raising new varieties 
from the ball, because it is not the oldest kinds that are 
most affected—for example, the “ old fashioned reds,” 
he says, are the least affected of any kind he has known. 
But whatever may be the cause of the disease, Mr. S. 
advises early planting as much safest—this he has proved 
by several experiments, and it will be seen agrees with 
our recommendations in the April number. 
Rot in the Potatoe. —Mr. D. K. Youngs of Oyster 
Bay, (L. I.) says—“ The earliest planted on dry ground 
were not much injured—the late ones, and those on low 
ground, were worthless, and this without regard to the 
quality or kind of seed.” Mr. Y. will have seen our 
opinion on this subject, which he asks for, in the April 
number. 
A Challenge. —“ Will the editor of the Cultivator have 
the goodness to state for the information of the cattle 
growing community, that the Empire State is challenged 
to produce a better pair of five years old cattle than is 
now owned by Daniel C. Mason of New Hartford, Onei¬ 
da Co., to be shown at the next State Fair.” 
Cure of Scours in Sheep. —Mr. N. B. Pinny, of 
Plymouth, Windsor Co. Vt., informs us that he and his 
neighbors have tested the efficacy of Mr. Jewett’s mode 
of treating sheep for scours—(see another part of this 
number.) In connection with this, he relates an inci¬ 
dent. Some years ago, his neighbor subscribed for the 
Cultivator, but took it only one year, thinking that as it 
was published “ out of his own State,” it could hardly 
contain a dollar's worth of information adapted to his 
wants. In the course of the past winter, his neighbor 
called one day to inquire for a remedy for the “ scours,” 
by which he had lost several sheep and was in a fair way 
to lose more. Mr. Pinney lent him a number of the 
Cultivator containing directions in the case. He pursu¬ 
ed the course recommended, saved his sheep—became 
satisfied of his misjudged economy in not taking the Cul¬ 
tivator, and has accordingly again subscribed for it. 
Shedding of wool by Sheep. —Mr. E. B. Brown, 
of Mystic, Conn., informs us that his sheep were found, 
during the past winter, to shed their wool, which he at¬ 
tributed to their having eaten freely of some species of 
Juniper on which they had been allowed to browse. On 
keeping the sheep from the Juniper, the wool ceased to 
fall off. 
The season in Alabama.— A. McDonald, Esq. of 
Eufalla, Ala., writes under date of 28th March, that the 
winter had been favorable to the preparation of the 
ground for the reception of seed, in that section, and that 
the spring hail also been warm and pleasant till within 
ten days of the time of writing, when the weather had 
turned suddenly cold, and several frosts occurred that cut 
down the corn. The planting of corn on Mr. McD.’s 
farm, was commenced on the 26th Feb., and finished on 
the 12th March. He says the corn that was bitten down, 
will not be materially injured, as it is only the blade that 
is affected. Mr. McD.’s oat crop was sown the last of 
November, stood the winter well, and will be fit to cut 
the early part of May. Cotton planting was commenced 
in April. 
Mr. McDonald wishes some correspondent of the 
Cultivator would give the proper management of the su¬ 
gar cane—the time of planting, quantity of cane per acre, 
mode of cultivation, grinding, and the preparation of the 
syrup, &c. Also directions for cultivating coffee, the 
olive and madder—where seed can be obtained, &c. 
Grafting on Peach Stocks. —Extract of a letter from 
a gentleman at Holly Springs, Miss., dated Feb. 27, 1845. 
“ There is a gentleman in this vicinity who cultivates 
and raises fruit trees for market; he engrafts all his vari¬ 
eties of plums, almonds, apricots and peaches, into the 
peach, with complete success, in getting them to live; 
1 his plan is to graft every thing—has never followed the 
system of budding. All the communications that I have 
seen on the subject of grafting into the peach, represent 
a failure on the part of those who have made the trial. 
The success of this gentleman does not arise from any 
thing new in the execution of the work; he does that in 
the usual way; inserts the cutting at the surface of the 
earth, and draws up some loose earth around it. My 
opinion is, that his success depends on the time of graft¬ 
ing, which is at the time of the first moving of the sap, 
before the tree has commenced to put forth its leaves. 
This work has been done by him some days since. The 
peach, and some kinds of plum, apricot and almond trees, 
are now in full bloom; oats have been planted, and in 
some instances, corn, in our county. Winter has been 
mild and pleasant; no cold weather, and but little rain.” 
Mr. Geddes’ experiments with corn_“ A Sub¬ 
scriber,” at Northampton, Mass., says he “ would sug¬ 
gest to Mr. Geddes to cultivate the ground upon which he 
experimented with corn last season, for a series of years 
without manuring, or until that which was manured, 
would produce no more than that which was not manu¬ 
red, as he will thereby not only test the relative value 
but the real value of manure. I have never seen an ex¬ 
periment where the real value of manure has been as¬ 
certained.” 
Warm bath for lambs. —At one of the agricultural 
meetings held here last winter, several gentlemen spoke 
of the advantage of the warm bath for resuscitating 
young lambs that bad become chilled. Mr. S. W. Jewett 
also recommended the practice in our February number. 
A correspondent at Northampton, informs that he has 
practiced it for several years. He says, his “manner is 
to immerse the lamb in warm water for a few minutes, 
then roll it in a wollen cloth and put in a warm place 
till it becomes dry and shows signs of hunger. It will 
generally get along without any further nursing. Should 
the extremities be frozen, which is sometimes the case, 
the frost must be taken out with cold water. I prefer 
absorbing the water with flannel to rubbing it off, as it 
is somewhat upon the principle of steaming .” He states 
that the mode has been successful with him, and he can 
therefore recommend it to others. 
Poudrette.— II. B. Glover, Esq. of Newtown, Ct., 
informs us that he has tried Poudrette tw r o years in suc¬ 
cession on corn, a gill to a hill, put in the hill on top of 
the corn at planting time, and has found at gathering the 
corn, in the fall, no difference either in quantity or qual¬ 
ity', from that which was along side of it, and treated 
equally the same except the poudrette. It is true, he 
says, “there was a slight difference in the color of the 
! leaves, when it first came up, and the poudrette rows 
■started a little the most vigorously at first, but the other 
[rows in one month had overtaken them, and no difference 
|could be perceived. I am satisfied that it is not a profit 
jable manure, (at present prices,) for me or farmers in 
this vicinity to buy, when stable, gypsum, ashes, lime 
and other manures, can be bought as at present.” 
Finish planting gardens and fields 
