THE CULTIVATOR. 
333 
RULES FOR PLOWING. 
L. Tucker, Esq. —I perceive that at our late Fair 
two sets of premiums on plowing were awarded—one 
for old hands, the other for young men under 18 years 
of age. While cordially approving of this arrangement, 
permit me with all humility to suggest that in a future 
no. of your excellent paper, you should lay down a rule 
or standard, what constitutes good plowing, as great di 
versity of opinion exists on this subject. We find one 
farmer prefers a broad furrow laid flat—another a furrow 
standing straight on edge, while others give the prefer¬ 
ence to a narrow furrow at a given angle. How then is 
a plowman to know what particular description of work 
is, in the eye of a strange judge, the best? Whereas, if, 
(prior to the competition,) particular dimensions were 
prescribed, there would be no risk of any favor or par¬ 
tiality for one kind of plowing rather than another, as a 
carpenter with his rule and straight edge, under the di¬ 
rection of the judge, could at once decide which com¬ 
petitor best followed out the particular mode of plowing 
laid down. And I hold that the workman who can 
come nearest to the dimensions prescribed could easily 
plow to the satisfaction of any farmer, let his taste on 
the subject be what it may. 
I have attended plowing matches for many years, and 
though I observe better plows are annually coming out, 
I do not mark any decided improvement in the style 
of plowing,-—which I am inclined to attribute to the fact 
that at no plowing matches have particular dimensions 
ever been prescribed. John McConnell. 
Remarks _We think it would be proper for Agricul¬ 
tural Societies to establish some general standard for 
good plowing. We find but a small proportion ot all 
the plowing in the country, performed in what could be 
called a proper manner. One of the greatest and most 
common errors, is making too wide furrows. This 
error is more or less prejudicial according to the nature 
of the soil—the injury being greater as the soil is more 
compact and tenacious. If the land to be plowed is sward , 
the object is the subversion of the sod in such a manner' 
as that the decomposition of the vegetable matter shall be 
rendered most valuable and available to succeeding 
crops, and at the same time leave the soil loose and per¬ 
meable to the roots of growing plants. To consider in 
detail all the circumstances which promote decomposi 
tion, would require more space than we have at dispo- j 
sal; it may however be remarked that air, heat, and 
moisture, are essential requisites. But in the case under 
consideration, it is necessary in the first place, that the 
vegetable substances in the soil be placed in such a situ¬ 
ation as to check life, else their growth will be promo¬ 
ted by the very principles which would otherwise pro¬ 
duce decomposition. A complete subversion of the 
sod is therefore the first requisite, and this should be 
done in a manner most favorable toils decomposition and 
the benefit of the crop to be put on the land. 
It is obvious that a narrow furrow, lightly laid over, 
would, more perfectly than a wide one, divide the soil 
and adapt it to the support of a crop. It is not many 
months, however, since we heard a farmer remark that 
he would not care if six or seven inches of a field he 
intended to plow, could all be completely turned over at 
once. Few would probably attempt to defend this pro¬ 
position, and yet the practice of many is so much in ac¬ 
cordance with it, they not only turn over as much at once 
as they possibly can, but in some cases they attempt to 
cover with the furrow slice that which is not even 
loosened by the plow. 
On the relative advantages of flat and angular furrows, 
we are aware that much diversity of opinion prevails. 
For very loose and porous soils, flat furrows may be 
equally as good, if not better, than those laid at any an¬ 
gle; but excepting for such, we should decidedly prefer 
furrows laid in such a manner as would admit a space 
for air underneath. 
As to the proper depth of plowing, good farmers also 
differ. Since the introduction of the subsoil-plow, how¬ 
ever, we think the question more easily settled, as the 
loosening of the sub-stratum by that implement, at once 
secures all the advantages of deep tillage, while it allows 
a surface furrow so shallow as to be liable to none of 
the objections urged against deep plowing. 
THE STRAWBERRY. 
Mr. Editor —Having noticed one or two (to me; 
apparent discrepancies in accounts relating to strawber¬ 
ries, I would feel obliged if you or some of your cor¬ 
respondents would harmonize them. First, Mr. Brice J. 
Goldsborough, in the April No., 1843, of the Culti¬ 
vator, says he sold eighty (80) gallons of berries from 
1371 plants one year old, besides what was consumed in 
his family, and some given his friends. Mr. Hovey says, 
(T believe in the 4th vol. of his Magazine,) in allusion 
to a bed of his seedling, that the bed did not produce 
twenly quarts, whereas it was large enough to have pro¬ 
duced two bushels, the bed containing upwards of five 
thousand plants. Mr. H. according to Mr. G.’s yield, 
should have expected forty bushels, and not two. As I 
wish to plant some, I should like to know which, if 
either of these statements, I may take for data to guide 
me, in about the quantity to plant for the production of 
about a certain quantity of fruit, all things else being 
equal. 
Another discordant matter I would like explained, may 
be gathered from the following. Mr Longworth, in 
Hovey’s Magazine for July, 1842, writes:—“When at 
Mr. Cushing’s, at Watertown, I was surprised to learn 
that his Keene’s seedling bore fruit in a compartment 
where there was no other variety near. The Keene’s 
seedling imported by Mr. Buist and myself, is defective 
in the male organs. * * * * I examined Mr. Cush¬ 
ing’s strawberry when in blossom, and found it perfect 
in the male organs.” 
Now I would ask, how comes it that one should be 
perfect and the other defective, when all, (if of the true 
kind,) must have originated from one parent plant, and 
all, ad infinitum, must have inherited its peculiarities, of 
male or female? 
Again, Mr. Philetus Phillips, in a circular dated 
April 1844, says—“ In order to possess large and abun¬ 
dant fruit, we must cultivate such as have distinct male 
and female plants of the same variety.” 
Here again, F would like to know where the distinct 
male or female plant of the same variety could come 
from, as all must have originated, &c„ &c., as before 
stated. 
While writing, allow me to call for a little more chari¬ 
ty at the hands of your correspondent, S. W., who calls 
the laboring man of England “ dull, leaden-eyed, stupid, 
obsequious,” for we are not exactly so, even in old Eng¬ 
land. If such expressions grow common, we shall pre¬ 
sently have some other of your correspondents stating 
something to the effect that they have seen barber’s blocks 
on American bodies. J. F. 
Rochester, Oct. 7, 1845. 
TO DESTROY THE RED ANT. 
L. Tucker, Esq—I take the liberty of sending you a 
very simple remedy to prevent the ravages of the small 
red ant, which infests the storerooms and pantries, to the 
no small annoyance of many a good housewife. 
Though rather late in the season to be beneficial to 
many of your readers, it will not lose its efficacy by 
keeping till next summer. I was much annoyed by the 
above named insect this summer, and had tried every 
remedy that I had ever heard of, but to no purpose. I 
finally tried chalk, and in this way : I make a thick 
mark about an inch wide around the article or vessel I 
wish protected from the ants, at any convenient distance 
from the bottom of the vessel, and I find they will not 
attempt to pass over the chalk. I watched their mo¬ 
tions for some time. They crawled as busily as ever, 
up as far as the chalk, where they seem to get very much 
excited, but not one of them attempts to pass over. I 
have tried the above remedy for over a mouth without a 
single failure. C. C G. 
Mobile, Ala., Sept., 1845. 
Cattle should not be out in cold weather. 
