THE CULTIVATOR. 
389 
INQUIRIES. 
Fowls. —“A Dairyman Farmer,”' (Trenton, N. Y.) 
is informed that the Dorking is not the largest variety of 
fowls; they may be considered about third in respect to 
size. The Java and Malay are larger. The latter are 
worth $2.50 per pair. 
A gentleman at Lexington, Va., proposes several in¬ 
quiries as follows: 
“ Which are considered the best breed of cattle, for 
beef and milk principally?” 
The Durham, Hereford, and Devon, each have their 
advocates. We cannot say which would be best suit¬ 
ed to the location of our friend. If his soil is rich and 
food good and abundant, he would probably succeed well 
with either the Herefords or Durhams, but if the soil is 
thin, a smaller animal should be chosen. For milk, 
the Ayrshires, we are told, have done well in Virginia. 
“ Which is the best breed of sheep, wool being the 
primary object, and the farm some distance in the inte¬ 
rior.?” 
If the flock is to be well tended, carefully sheltered 
from storms, &c., the very finest wooled Saxons may 
give satisfactory profits; if they are to take rough fare, 
and are not to be provided with much shelter, a hardier 
animal with a heavier and coarser fleece, will be likely 
to do better. A selection should be made something ac¬ 
cording to the situation, and care to be bestowed—re¬ 
membering that the sbeep which produce the very finest 
wool are more delicate in constitution than others, tho.ugh 
under favorable circumstances they may be as profitable 
as any. 
“What is the best breed of hogs for the farmer, to 
make pork to eat, and a little to sell?” 
The relative profits of breeds, depend so much on 
management, that it is almost impossible to give a defi¬ 
nite answer to this question. Experience has taught us 
that those animals which will fatten best and most profit¬ 
ably when kept in pens, and duly provided with food 
without being obliged to perform any exertion, are not 
the ones best fitted to “ grub ” for a living. If hogs are 
destined to range the fields and forests for much the 
greater portion of their lives, a tendency to muscular fi¬ 
bre, in the breed, rather than a propensity to secrete 
mere fat, is of paramount importance. 
Churning Milk. —“ A Subscriber,” (Fairhaven, 
Mass.) Several years ago, while keeping a dairy, we 
made some trials in churning milk. It was put into a 
large churn (Galt’s,) soon after coming from the cow, 
and kept in motion till the butter separated. But we do 
not suppose it to be necessary that it should be churned 
as soon as milked. While visiting some of the dairies 
in Orange county, in this state, last season, we noticed 
the practice of churning the milk was followed, and that 
the milk in some instances had become loppered, orturned 
to “ bonnyclabber.” A large barrel churn was used, 
moved by horse power. We are unable to give the in¬ 
formation asked relative to the comparative advantages 
of this mode of churning, but shall feel obliged if those 
who can speak from experience will furnish it. 
Corn and Cob Meal.— “A Subscriber,” (Greenville, 
S. C.)—We never heard of this kind of meal being “ in¬ 
jurious ” to cattle or horses, though we have heard one 
or two instances where it was thought injury had been 
done to hogs by eating meal which had too much cob in 
it. As to the “cob injuring mill-stones,” we know no¬ 
thing, but presume it is better to grind the article in 
mills calculated for the purpose. As to the benefit of 
grinding the cob with the corn, we think it varies with 
the nature of the corn—being greatest with the hardest 
and most flinty varieties. From our own experience, 
we think the advantage of grinding the cob with the 
light chaffy « gourd-seed ” corn of the south would not 
be very great. 
Guinea Corn.— Mr. S. Gilliam, of Oxford, S. C., has 
sent us a sample of what he says is called “rice corn.” 
The grain is evidently a variety of what is often called 
Guinea corn, or African Millet. We have seen and 
sometimes cultivated different kinds of it for the last 
twenty-five years. It is a very good article to raise for 
fodder, sown broadcast or in drills, and managed in the 
same way that our Indian corn is when used for that 
purpose. Mr. Gilliam states that some which he sowed 
on the 6th of August last, attained a height of more than 
five feet by the 29th of Sept., and he thinks would 
“yield a greater quantity of hay than ever was cut from 
the same quantity of ground before.” 
J. G., Gilopolis—We will endeavor to comply with 
your request. 
P. S. S. Carthage, wishes for a plan of a Piggery, for 
from 30 to 50, or even 100 hogs. He will find some 
good plans in the 8th vol. of the Cultivator, p. 40 and 
109—also vol. 9, p. 96. We shall, however, be glad to 
receive plans and descriptions of a good piggery from 
any of our subscribers who have made one to suit them¬ 
selves. 
Woad.— “A Subscriber” wishes to be informed 
“ whether woad can be raised in Connecticut, and whe¬ 
ther it is a profitable crop—also whether there is a mar¬ 
ket for the leaves without going through the process 
spoken of, in the Cultivator for Sept.” If any one has 
tried it, we should be glad to hear the result. 
CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE. 
Beneficial Effects of Ag. Papers.—A correspon¬ 
dent in Otsego county, ‘highlander,” says:—“Owing 
chiefly to the circulation of agricultural papers, princi¬ 
pally the Cultivator, in this section, within the last 10 
years a decided improvement in the following, among 
many other things, is observable, viz: The operation of 
plowing is more neatly and thoroughly performed; more 
attention is paid to the making, preserving, and applica¬ 
tion of manures, and an increase in the corn crop equal 
to 20 or 30 per cent.” 
Cure for, the Bite of a Rattlesnake.— '‘Be¬ 
low I send you,” says a letter from Dr. R. North, of Mo¬ 
bile, to the editor of the Cultivator, “ a receipe^for the 
cure of a rattlesnake bite, which has been used by a 
physician of our city, Dr. Woodcock, who has found if 
nearly always to succeed. I have used it several times 
in my practice, and it succeeded. 
R. Aqua ammonia, 
Spts. Turpentine, 
Tinct opii, of each, one oz., mixed together. 
Take a teaspoonful every hour until sleep comes on. 
For a child three years old, half a teaspoonful every hall 
hour; and wash the part frequently with the same.” 
Castor Oil_ Extract of a letter from Mr. Andrew 
Gray, Parson’s Mills, N. C., to the Cultivator:—“ I raise 
the bean, express and clarify in the most simple manner, 
the pure Castor Oil. My oil is highly approved by all 
that have used it. Our physicians say that it is far su¬ 
perior to the northern oil, which is highly adulterated.” 
Will Mr. G. please furnish us with the details of the 
operation. Mr. G. says the wheat in his vicinity was 
good, oats poor, and corn mostly but one-third of a crop. 
“A Dairyman Farmer,” of Trenton, N. Y., informs 
us that in 1842, he obtained 396 bushels of potatoes, 
(“ blue pink-eyes,”) from an acre of land. 
Salting Pork and Beef_ Mr. R. H. Ostrander, 
of Glenville, informs us that he has for several years 
pursued the following method with success:—“ In pack¬ 
ing down pork I sprinkle in four quarts of rock salt to a 
barrel, then make a pickle of warm water sufficient to 
cover all the meat, as strong as can be made with salt, 
and when cold pour it on; when the pickle becomes 
much colored with the blood of the meat, draw it off, 
boil it, take off the scum till it becomes clean, and apply 
it again; in this way pork will keep sweet throughout 
the ensuing summer, and will be free of rust. 
“ In salting beef, take four quarts of rock salt pounded 
fine; eight ounces of saltpetre, and five pounds of browr 
sugar; mix them well together, and wifh these ingredi¬ 
ents pack the meat down very closely, so as thatthey wiP 
of themselves cover the whole with brine. The next 
spring draw off the brine, clarify it as before mentioned, 
adding a little salt to it, and apply it again, and the beef 
