853 
1848. THE CULTIVATOR. 
MOTTHW HOMCES—TO 
Communications received since our last, from A1 
fred Coffin, Ira Hopkins, W. I. I., Charles Smith, W. 
B. Hamilton, A Young Farmer, G. H. Dadd, B., J., N. 
Longworth. 
Books, Pamphlets, &c., have been received, during 
the past month, as follows :—Catalogue of the Lake 
Erie Nurseries, Cleveland, Ohio, Elliott & Co , pro¬ 
prietors—-Catalogue of Seneca Lake Highland Nurse 
ries, Catharine, N. Y., E. C. Frost, proprietor—Pa¬ 
tent Office Report, from Hon. J. D. Wescott, Jr., U 
S. Senate—Catalogue of the Highland Nurseries, New 
burgh, A. Saul & Co., proprietors, (late A. J. Down¬ 
ing & Co.) 
Old Cheese.— We have received from Mr. J. Cary, 
a sample of cheese nine years old. It is of excellent 
quality, though we cannot say whether it has constant¬ 
ly improvel, or was actually improving with age. If 
it had not yet reached all attainable perfection, we 
should like to know how much time would be required 
for that object. 
Fine Saxon Shesp. —We had lately the opportunity 
of seeing the flock of Saxon sheep owned by Mr. Chas. 
B. Smith, of Woolcottville, Litchfield county, Ct. 
This flock has been widely known for several years, and 
we had occasionally seen specimens from it which were 
of superior quality. Mr. S. has a smaller number than 
usual, having sold many. He has now about 200. His 
breeding ewes are a very superior lot—healthy, well¬ 
shaped, and of beautiful fineness and evenness of fleece. 
They are also very uniform in their appearance and 
quality, showing that the breeder is accomplishing his 
object. The average weight of fleece, washed in the 
way formerly practiced has been 2| to 3 pounds per 
head; but since Mr. S. has adopted the plan of more 
thorough cleansing, the average has been reduced to 
2k and 2| lbs. Mr. Smith has on several occasions 
imported sheep from Germany, and has lately sent out 
an order for twenty, which he expects will soon arrive 
in this country. 
Importation of Woolen Goods.— Some of our 
readers are probably aware that great quantities of Eu¬ 
ropean woolen goods have latterly been thrown into 
our markets. A correspondent who appears to be fa¬ 
miliar with the subject, informs us that the French and 
Belgian governments are allowing bounties of 12 to 14 
per cent, on the exportation of such cloths. The 
duties at our custom houses are charged at the short 
price. The case is thus illustrated :—“ An article is 
bought of a French manufacturer at $100; on shipment 
at Havre a bounty of $12 is allowed, which reduces the 
article to $88; the duty in this country, 30 per cent, is 
$26.40, bringing the article into our markets at $114. 
40, whereas it should be $130.” 
It is remarked that every yard of foreign broadcloth 
occupies the space of one fleece of American wool, and 
that under the complete surfeit of goods imported un¬ 
der the above system, the low price of wool here, and 
the general stagnation of the trade, is unavoidable. 
We would suggest the inquiry whether this state of 
things was contemplated when the tariff of 1846 was 
framed ? 
Mtlking Cows. —It is important that all the milk 
should be drawn from the udder ; if it be not, the 
quantity secreted will diminish in proportion to the 
quantity left at each milking. That which is left in 
the udder is re-absorbed into the system, and the next 
milking will be so much less in quantity. Cows will 
COKRESPO^DMTS, 
not yield their milk to a person they dislike; but will 
show by their quiet attitude and chewing the cud that 
the operation, when performed by a gentle and expert 
milker, is productive of pleasure. The udder and teats 
should always be washed clean with water, which in 
the winter should be warmed. This will not only in¬ 
sure the cleanliness of the milk, but will cause it to 
flow more freely. 
Woolen Rags for Manure.— The waste of woolen 
factories, and woolen rags, make a valuable manure. 
They may be made up into compost and remain till 
rotted, or may be used by themselves. A correspond¬ 
ent of the Ag. Gazette gives his mode of using the 
rags. He runs them through a straw-cutter, and then 
spreads them on grass-land. On some adjoining land 
lie had applied lime, and also bone-dust, at a greater 
cost than the rags, but the latter produced the greatest 
results. He has tried mixing them with lime, but 
finds they are not so good “ as the lime kills the greasy 
matter, and injures their fertilizing qualities.” Per¬ 
haps ashes, or potash, by forming a soluble soap, would 
do better. 
Early-sown Rye may be fed with sheep or calves, 
during the month of November, with great benefit to 
the stock, and, if the growth is large, with decided be¬ 
nefit to the crop, as a large quantity of herbage, lying 
on the ground in the winter, renders the crop liable to 
be “ smothered,” as it is called, especially if it is cov¬ 
ered long with snow. No injury results from feeding 
rye with sheep or light cattle, any time in winter, ex¬ 
cept when the ground is so soft that it would be “poach¬ 
ed,” and the roots of the rye be broken; and there is 
no food better for such animals. We have often seen a 
young calf or lamb so improved by grazing on rye, late 
in the fall and early in winter, that they not only held 
their own when returned with the rest, but took the 
lead in thrift and growth. Rye is frequently sown for 
the purpose of being fed by stock, in the southern part 
of Ohio and in Kentucky. It is also the best crop for 
early soiling. It starts early, and may be cut several 
times before any other article is far enough advanced 
for the purpose. 
Premium on Straw Cutters. —'The premium 
awarded for best straw cutter at the fair at Buffalo to 
Rapalje Sc Briggs, of Rochester, was for a straw cut¬ 
ter manufactured by Ruggles, Nourse Sc Mason, of 
Worcester, Mass.—entered by Messrs. Rapalje & 
Briggs. B. P. Johnson, Secretary. 
Agricultural Rooms, Albany, Oct. 17, 1848. 
Nipping off the tops of potatoes. —A few months 
since, Dr. Klotch recommended nipping off the tops 
of potatoes, while growing, in order to prevent the at¬ 
tack of the disease. A foreign paper gives the result 
of an experiment to test this, from which it appears 
that of two parallel rows, equal in extent, one having 
the tops nipped off as recommended, and the other left 
untouched, the latter gave 27 pounds more of sound 
potatoes than the former. 
Fattening cattle with mixed food. —A Scotch¬ 
man ..who fattens 150 head of Galloway cattle, annually, 
finds it most economical to feed with bruised flax-seed, 
boiled with meal of barley, oats, or Indian corn, at the 
rate of one part flax seed to three parts meal, by 
weight,—the cooked compound to be afterwards mixed 
with oat straw or hay. From four to twelve pounds 
of the compound are given to each beast per day.— 
Would it not be well for some of our farmers who 
