THE CULTIVATOR. 
207 
well cultivated and plastered, and appear in a very thriv¬ 
ing 1 state. If the plan succeeds) the 3 acres of land would 
give one and a half acre of potatoes and equal to 3 acres 
of corn planted 4 feet by 4 feet—whether it succeeds or 
not, I propose giving you the result. In the one case, it 
may induce others to try it for themselves; in the other, 
spare them the trouble of doing so. 
Maryland , June 1th, 1845. 
GESTATION OP COWS. 
Mr. Editor —While living on my farm, I found it 
not only useful, but very necessary, to keep a record of 
the time my cows were put to the bull, as well as the 
time of calving. By the means of keeping a record, I 
was enabled to "make a calculation on the probable period 
parturition would take place, and be prepared for the 
event, and avoid accidents which might occur, when no 
attention was paid to the subject. 
The experiments and facts which I am about to state, 
may not be considered of much importance to farmers 
generally, but to the breeders of cattle, and the inquiring 
mind, they may, I trust, be interesting; and some good 
may possibly result from their publicity. 
Earl Spencer, in a paper communicated to the f< Jour¬ 
nal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England,” says 
the shortest period of gestation, which a live calf was 
produced, was220 days; and the longest 313—difference 
93 days. 
M. Tessier, in a memoir read to the Royal Academy 
of Sciences at Paris, says that in 1,131 cows, which he 
had the opportunity of observing, the shortest period of 
gestation was 240 days; and the longest 321—difference 
81 days. 
Both of the foregoing statements differ from my ex¬ 
perience. Among my cows, though numbering only 62, 
the shortest period of gestation was 213 days, and the 
longest period was 336—difference 123 days. But as re¬ 
gards the shortest period of 213 days, I must confess I 
have had my doubts as to the correctness, though I kept 
the record myself, for in no other instance have they 
fallen below 260 days. 
It would appear from the Earl's statements, that a calf 
produced at an earlier period than 260 days, must be 
considered decidedly premature; and any calf produced 
at any period of gestation exceeding 300 days must also 
be considered irregular, but in this latter case the health 
of the produced is not affected. 
There are some facts presented in my record which 
differ from any statements which have fallen under my 
observation. For instance, in 1839 I had fourteen cows, 
three of which produced heifer calves; and the period 
of gestation averaging 284 days, while the other seven 
produced males, and averaged 280 days. This, in re¬ 
gard to the time allowed for males and females, is con¬ 
trary to the prevalent belief among farmers, and differs 
very materially from the result of the following year, 
1840. I had that year thirteen cows, six of which pro¬ 
duced heifer calves, whose period of gestation averaged 
278 days; and seven produced bull calves, averaging 299 
days; the shortest period of the heifer calves was 213 
days, and the longest 336 days; being the greatest ex¬ 
tremes of either year. The shortest period of the bulls 
was 278, and the longest period was 289 days. In this 
year the number of males and females were nearly bal¬ 
anced. 
The next year, 1841, eleven cows produced eight 
heifer and three bull calves. The shortest period of ges¬ 
tation for the heifer calves, was 277 and the longest 292 
days—averaging 286 days. For the bull calves the 
shortest period of gestation was 284, and the longest 299 
days—averaging 293 days. 
In 1842, the order seemed to be reversed; for out of 
thirteen cows, nine produced males, and four females. 
The shortest for the males was 281, and the longest 294, 
averaging 287 days. There was but very little differ¬ 
ence in the time for the females; the shortest period be¬ 
ing 280, and the longest 286—averaging 284 days. 
In 1843, the proportion of males to females, was, asi 
in 1840, nearly balanced. From eleven cows, six male! 
and five female calves were produced. The shortest 
period for the males was 277, and the longest 290- 
averaging 282 days; and the shortest period for the fe¬ 
males was 276, the longest 286—averaging 282 days. 
In the five years, which embraced my experiments, 
sixty-two cows produced twenty.six females, and thirty- 
six male calves; the period of gestation for the bull 
calves, averaging 288 days, while the heifers averaged 
nearly 283 days. 
In the experiments of Earl Spencer, those cows whose 
period exceeded 286 days, the number of females was 
only 90, while the number of males was 150. Now, in 
my experiments, those cows that exceeded 286 (lavs, the 
number of females was 7, while that of the males was 
12. The number of female calves produced under 283 
days was 24, while that of the males was 31. In most 
cases, therefore, 283 or 288 days may be assumed as the 
usual period for gestation, and not 270 days, as stated in 
Youatfs work on cattle. 
My experiments were not confined to any particular 
breed or variety of cattle—they consisted of Durham, 
Devon, Herefords, Ayrshires and grades; and I think 
these results, though derived from the observation of one 
person only, will be found equally applicable; at any 
rate, we should be pleased to hear the results of others. 
C. N. Bement. 
American Hotel, Albany , July, 1845. 
CULTIVATION OF FRUIT. 
Mr. Tucker —Among the various objects that engage 
the attention of the agriculturist, few have higher claims 
upon his care than the cultivation of fruit. When man 
was fresh from the hands of his maker, the fruits of his 
garden became the sole objects of his culture, as they 
constituted his entire, yet ample means of subsistence. 
Health, vigor and longevity resulted from this simple 
fare; and there can hardly be a doubt that even at this 
day, a nearer approach to this primitive simplicity of diet 
would contribute much to the preservation of health and 
happiness among mankind. When we consider the great 
and consantly increasing varieties of fruit that are capa¬ 
ble of being cultivated in our climate; their wonderful 
capacity for improvement; the elegance of form and 
beauty of color displayed by many of them; and above 
all their delightful fragrance and exquisite flavor; it 
may well be asked, what objects demand our more con¬ 
stant and fostering care? Nor is the value of fruit at all 
lessened when we view it as a means of increasing our 
wealth. If our farmers, with their present very meagre 
and imperfect collections of fruit, have often found the 
produce of the orchard among the most valuable of crops, 
what may they not expect when the best and most pro¬ 
fitable varieties come to be the objects of their culture? 
In this region we can boast of but few apples of decided 
value, and until a recent period we had but one superior 
and some half dozen tolerable pears. Of the best of 
apples, and of those exquisite productions of the pear 
kind, with which the science and skill of a few indivi¬ 
duals have enriched the. world within the last half cen¬ 
tury, we are yet to become partakers. The peach and 
the plum had almost become extinct among us for want 
of a sufficient knowledge in their culture to counteract 
their diseases, and to protect them from the depredations 
of insects. Their best varieties have never been seen 
here at all. These defects in our system of rural econo¬ 
my cannot fail of being amended when the attention of 
the public can be sufficiently awakened to their existence; 
since it is not so much the remedy, as the determination 
and skill to use it, that is wanting. 
But the principal design of this communication is to 
lay before the public some observations that have lately 
been made in the culture of a few particular varieties of 
fruit. In the contiguous counties of Westchester and 
Fairfield, and probably over a considerably wider extent 
of surface, the Newtown Pippin tree has never worn the 
healthy and flourishing appearance of the other culti¬ 
vated sorts. It is slow of growth, and the bark of even 
young trees has a peculiarly rough and perforated ap¬ 
pearance, as if often traversed by the woodpecker. For 
many years its fruit has been gradually deteriorating until 
it has become in many orchards nearly worthless. So 
