THE CULTIVATOR 
215 
soon done, any blacksmith being able to rivet from ten 
to twelve pannels a day. To make the pickets as light 
as possible if is necessary to groove the pattern through 
in the middle three-fourths of an inch, leaving three 
inches at the top and bottom solid, excepting the holes 
where they are secured to the bars. Three feet is length 
enough for a picket. The expense of construction would 
be lessened by the use of wooden posts instead of iron; 
the latter, however, would be preferable. A farm pro¬ 
vided with a fence of this material, if kept thoroughly 
painted, would be fenced, not for a day, but for all time. 
I have found the most durable way to set posts and 
prevent them from being thrown out by frost, is to dig 
the holes large enough to admit of their being filled up 
with small stones and lime mortar; the lime prevents 
decay, and the stones prevent in a great measure the ac¬ 
tion of frost. It is of the utmost importance for farmers 
who wish contentment of mind, good neighbors, the 
enjoyment of their own property, and to be free from 
vexatious litigation, to put up good and sufficient fences 
both inside and out. 
A few Hints on Barns intended for Hay. —The 
The site for these buildings is of the first importance. 
It should be in the vicinity of the hay field, for in the 
hot and sultry season it is a saving of time and labor to 
have them thus located. It should be, if possible, dug 
into the side of a hill, which will enable you to draw 
the load near the roof, which elevation will likewise 
enable you to pitch the hay down. All will admit it is 
easier. If you have no side hill on which to build, the 
posts of the barn should be at least fourteen feet high, 
which will secure ample bay-room, which is very much 
needed in all hay barns. The opening for putting in the 
hay should be at the east, as it will be shaded in the 
afternoon, the time in which most hay is put in. To 
construct barns for this purpose in the most economical 
way, I would recommend placing the posts up^n the sills 
at the distance of twelve feet asunder, gird parallel with 
the sills half way up the posts, then board up by placing 
the boards lengthwise from plate to sill. For a roof, 
match the boards close and lay two thicknesses, taking 
care to break joints. Every barn should be provided 
with a conductor or lightening rod. An easy method is 
to put them up in the form of a half circle, stretching 
along the roof, supported by non-conductors. The fluid 
coming in contact with either end of the conductor will 
travel to the opposite end, where it will explode into 
the air. Yours respectfully, 
H. Cooke. 
Tivoli, Dutchess county, N. Y., 1845. 
SPECIMENS OF SOILS FROM WISCONSIN. 
The samples of soil alluded to in the following letter, 
were handed to Prof. Emmons, by whom they were sub¬ 
jected to an analysis, the results of which, with accom¬ 
panying remarks, will be seen in the subjoined article. 
The Professor's remark that £< it would be easier to make 
suggestions on the spot than at a distance,” is obviously 
correct, and should always be borne in mind in soliciting 
information on such subjects. 
Geneva, Wis. Ter., May 27, 1845. 
Mr. Tucker— I take the liberty to send you a sample 
of marl found in this vicinity, and also a small quantity 
of the soil taken from my farm, both of which I wish to 
have analysed. 
My object is to ascertain in the first place the nature 
of my soil, that I may be able to apply such manures, if 
they are within my reach, as will be most likely to faci¬ 
litate the growth of wheat; and I wish also to know 
whether this marl will probably be valuable as a manure 
on such soils as mine; and will charcoal be likely to in¬ 
crease the wheat crop here; and you will confer a great 
favor by suggesting any thing that would be of service 
in the cultivation of our great staple. 
Such lands as mine in their present state, will yield 
about twenty-five bushels to the acre, with good cultiva¬ 
tion, without manure; but I suppose the average is not 
over fifteen bushels, under our present poor management. 
I wish to see what can be done on our new lands in in¬ 
creasing our yield of wheat, and intend to make my 
experiments with care, and keep an exact account of 
expense, that I may determine how well we may culti¬ 
vate our new lands and make it pay. 
You will oblige me much by assisting me to obtain 
such information as will enable me to start right in this 
matter. C. M. Goodsell. 
To C. M. Goodsell —T hereby acknowledge the re¬ 
ceipt of two specimens, one of soil, and the other what 
was supposed to be marl. I have analyzed both, and 
below I give you the results. The soil is extremely fine, 
and very different in this respect from any of the soils 
of New-York or of New-England; as the latter are al¬ 
ways coarse, or at least when compared with that from 
your farm. It is of the color and appearance of ground 
emery; it will all pass through the finest sieve. When 
examined under the microscope, a few white grains of 
quartz may be seen, the largest of which are about the 
size of mustard seed. If this is a sample which repre¬ 
sents the soil of your farm, its fineness is its most cha¬ 
racteristic property. It will lie too compactly after it 
has been cultivated for a few years longer, or when its 
vegetable matter is expended, and will require more 
strength of team to plow it than coarse soils. It is evi¬ 
dently silicious, and seems to be a fine sediment which 
was deposited far from land and in a deep sea. 
Analysis—100 grains gave the following result: 
Water,. 5*00 
Vegetable matter,. 9*50 
Silex,. 80*21 
Carbonate of lime,. 1 *00 
Phosphate of alumine and lime,.. 0*50 
Protoxide of iron and alumine,... 3*62 
99*83 
The so called marl is really tufa, and is composed of 
97 per cent, of carbonate of lime. Some parts of it are 
entirely soluble in warm muriatic acid; in others, there 
is a sediment of silicious matter. It is to all intents and 
purposes a pure carbonate of lime, and may be used for 
quick lime for mortar, water or agricultural purposes. 
The questions which are put in your letter are not easy 
to answer, inasmuch as the composition of the soil is not 
defective. The way to improve if, as it appears to me, 
is to add coarser materials to it, that is, improve it me¬ 
chanically—as fragments of old brick, pottery, plaster, 
broken stone, etc.; also coarse charcoal, bones—a good 
plan would be to add the broken tufa without burning. 
I feel that it would be easier to make suggestions on the 
spot than at a distance, for after all local circumstance 
must greatly modify the treatment in any given case. 
E. Emmons 
GRADE CATTLE. 
Mr. Tucker— I noticed in the May No. of your 
paper, a communication relative to cross breeds of cattle. 
Presuming that my experience in that important branch 
would be interesting to some of your readers, I have 
taken the liberty to address you on that subject. 
In the year 1840, I possessed a cow of the old fashion 
breed; (I am unacquainted with the technical name,) and 
desiring to improve it, I drove her to a neighbor who 
possessed a full blood short-horned Durham bull. In the 
spring of 1841, she had a fine female calf. This calf 
grew up, and at three years old had a calf of about three- 
quarters Durham. Last fall, or early in the winter, this 
half bred had another calf. About four weeks after, we 
commenced milking her: the first week she made 8 lbs. 
of butter; the second 7; the third 9; the fourth 8— 
making in all 32 lbs. in four weeks. She was fed on 
common hay, and about three pints of wheat bran a day. 
She had no particular care taken of her, as to currying, 
&c. She is a kind gentle beast, not very particular as to 
what she eats; and every way calculated to leave the 
impression as being a good and profitable breed to the 
farmer. A Subscriber. 
Coyemans, May 13, 1845. 
Farmers’ Motto. —Contrive to collect cash—and 
keep it. 
