THE CULTIVATOR. 
383 
the time except being driven to water, after which they 
were immediately put in the barn. While out, only one 
ox voided, of this there was no account made. 
“ I then kept them 24 hours on cut hay from the same 
mow, thinking that in this time they might empty them 
selves of the long hay. I (hen weighed 104-§ lbs., (the 
same quantity they ate of long hay,) from the same mow 
_kept them in the barn and watered as before. With 
them there was no difference except in this instance, 
they all returned to the barn without having anything 
pass from them. 
“ At the end of the 24 hours I weighed the hay that was 
left, and found they had eaten 86 lbs. only; and their 
excrement during the same time weighed 208^ lbs., 
exceeding the weight of cut hay eaten, by 1 22\ lbs. I( 
was my purpose in each instance to let them have what 
they needed, and no more; in neither case was there a 
waste of hay, and in each case the oxen were comfort¬ 
ably filled. They had done no work for several days 
before being put on the trial, nor did they do any 
while on trial, nor during the intervening 24 hours.” 
These facts show a saving in this instance, of about 
18 per cent, in favor of cut hay, and also an increase 
in weight of the excrement, of 15 per cent. Thus, 
says Mr. W., “ we spend less hay and make more 
manure, which is the farmer's capital.” He thinks the 
cattle did as well when fed on the cut hay, as when fed 
on the long. He says he w'ill not attempt to solve the 
mystery in regard to least hay making most manure. 
THE POTATAO ROT IN EUROPE. 
The extensive destruction of the potato crop in Eu¬ 
rope has awakened a great deal of inquiry among scien¬ 
tific men and through all classes of people. The Editor 
of the London Gardener’s Chronicle, estimates the loss 
at five-sixths of the whole crop of Europe. The speedy 
destruction in many cases, may be inferred from the 
statement of a correspondent of that paper:—“ Two days 
ago, twelve acres w T ere still safe; they arc now gone.” 
But the further investigations have been pushed, by men 
of the most eminent abilities, the greater seems to be 
the doubt which hangs over the cause and cure; and the 
scientific world appears yet divided between the opinion 
of its being a gangrene or murrain, or the blighting ef¬ 
fects of a fungus. 
The opinion which has prevailed to some extent in 
this country, as well as in Europe, that common salt was 
an efficient remedy, and which was strengthened by the 
fact that on parts of the sea-coast, exposed to saline moist¬ 
ure, the rot had not appeared,—appears to be overthrown 
by failure in other places on the sea, and where in experi¬ 
ment salt was directly applied. 
All that scientific men have yet done, is to suggest ex¬ 
periments for determining the nature of the malady, and 
for saving such parts of diseased potatoes, as may remain 
uninjured, by chemical process. The latter has been to 
for use in cooking for food, and for mixing with grain 
flour has been manufactured to a considerable extent. 
Kiln-drying the diseased potatoes at a temperature not 
higher than 180 degrees Fah., and not longer than fifteen 
or twenty minutes, has been found at once to arrest all de- 
a considerable degree successful; and good potato flour, 
cay or progress in the disease. Professor Henslow suc¬ 
ceeded in obtaining from half a bushel of sound potatoes, 
4 lbs. 10 oz. of flour; aud from the same quantity of 
diseased and decaying tubers, 3 lbs. 1 oz. The quality 
of the latter was equally good, the starch of potatoes re¬ 
maining a long time uninjured in diseased ones, and only 
lessened in quantity. The process of extracting the 
flour, consists essentially, in first washing the potatoes, 
then grafting or mashing them to a fine pulp, (which 
might be done rapidly by means of a common grater 
cider-mill;) and washing the pulp repeatedly with 
water. The washing may be conveniently done by pla¬ 
cing the pulp on a canvass sieve or bag, and stirring it 
well, while a stream of water is suffered to run upon it, 
into a large vessel beneath. When the water ceases to 
become milky, it has carried off the flour; and the coarse 
fibrous matter remaining behind may be thrown away. 
The flour water, after standing 10 minutes to settle, is 
racked off, fresh water is applied, is suffered again to 
stand 10 minutes, and again racked off; the process is 
repeated several times, until it is thoroughly washed. It 
is then dried on stretched flannel. 
A hundred weight of good potatoes yields about 18 
lbs. of good starch; the quantity however varies. The 
average proportion of water in good potatoes, is about 
80 lbs. per hundred weight. Professor Henslow, hired 
his potatoes grated by hand. “ The cost of grating 7 
sacks was 17$. 6d .; the flour saved 122 lbs.; call this 8 
stone, which may be used instead of 8 stone of wheat- 
flour, at 2$. 6d. per stone, and I lose nothing; whilst the 
poor graters have gained, and the amount of human food 
saved, will tend to keep down prices.” 
CHEAP CONTRIVANCES—SPLITTING WOOD. 
A cheap and simple contrivance, costing but a few mi¬ 
nutes labor, and used every day in the year, is often worth 
more than the complex and 
ostentatious machine but 
rarely needed in practice. 
Every man who splits up 
stove-wood, knows that by 
the usual way, he has to 
spend two-thirds of his 
time in setting up the block 
ready for the blow of the axe. 
To save this time, we have adopted the following way, 
and found it to save at least two-thirds the time, equal to 
at least several dollars a year to every man who has to 
keep one stove going. 
A large flat block of wood, six or eight inches thick, 
and nearly two feet wide, has a 
large hole cut through the mid¬ 
dle about eight or nine inches 
square. The block of stove-wood 
is set on end in this hole, and 
quick and repeated strokes of the 
axe splits it up finely, without 
once touching it with the hand. 
If such a block is not easily to be had, take two crook¬ 
ed logs, and pin them together. 
CULTURE OF BROOM CORN. 
L. Tucker, Esq. —I am not prepared to give satisfac¬ 
tory answers to your correspondent, on <he subject of broom 
corn, in every particular; but will briefly state, that we 
have, the past summer, had about thirty-five acres under 
cultivation; about half on the Mohawk low lands, (or 
flats) which is the soil generally perferred, the balance ad¬ 
joining, on a gravelly soil. On account of the extreme 
drouth, the low ground has done much the best. 
2d. As to the profits, compared with other crops. Much 
depends on the success you may have; some seasons it 
does much better than others; the past has been too dry 
to give a good large brush, but with us the seed has been 
an extraordinary crop—averaging nearly or quite fifty 
bushels to the acre, and most of it very full and heavy, 
weighing 31 lbs. to the bushel, and is excellent for fat- 
ting hogs. They eat it greedily, and thrive on it as well, 
if not better, than on Indian corn. An acre of good 
broom corn should yield from four to six hundred lbs. of 
brush; and the seed, when good, is worth, in its rough 
state, as much as oats for feed. 
I have now on hand, enough of prime seed, to plant 
two hundred acres, and can supply your correspondent 
with any reasonable quantity, at the lowest market price. 
My seed is the largest and best I have ever seen. A let¬ 
ter directed J. D. F., West Schuyler, will be attended to. 
As to the query, “ will the increased production be 
likely to over stock the market?” Like every other 
product of the soil, there may be an over stock some 
years, more than others, but thus far the demand has 
kept up with the product. J* D. F. 
West Schuyler , Herkimer co., Nov. 1845. 
Weeds.—S ucculent w'eeds may be converted into a 
blackened and lifeless mass, applicable as manure by 
mixing them layer for layer in a compost with quick 
lime. 
