THE CULTIVATOR. 
59 
I had growing at the same time. From the time they were in flow¬ 
er they were cut as wanted, and given to horses, cattle and pigs, all 
which ate them readdy. Yet I did not think the stock did so well 
upon them as in England, possibly from the mode of their growth, 
which, either owing to the soil or climate, was different to what I 
had before seen. These went on growing freely after the pods 
were formed, though, commonly, when pods are formed, the whole 
strength of the plant is directed to perfect the seed, and the stalks 
soon cease to grow. They grew till the first week in September, 
when all were cut down, cured and stacked. The haulm or straw 
was abundant, and is excellent food for sheep. The seed a poor 
crop, as from half an acre I had only five bushels, which, even al¬ 
lowing for much waste by fowls whilst growing, was too little, as 
half an acre ought to produce at least fifteen bushels. I intend to 
sow an acre with them this spring, and hope they may yield better. 
For Swedish turnips I had five acres of land, a good sandy loam, 
ploughed and harrowed repeatedly till clean, then manured with 
about twelve good two horse loads of half rotten manure per acre, 
which was ploughed in, and the turnips sown at different times, from 
the fifteenth of June to the 6th of July. 
The seed was drilled on the flat surface twenty-two inches from 
row to row, and on the 6th of July we began to hoe out those drilled 
the 15th June. But those drilled on the 6th of July we began to hoe 
on the 20th, being only fourteen days from the time of sowing. In 
England I do not recollect any fit for the hoe in less than three 
weeks. But here vegetation is more rapid, both of turnips and 
weeds. In hoeing they were left about ten or twelve inches from 
plant to plant in the rows. They were hoed again in twelve or four¬ 
teen days, and afterwards a third time. 
The plants soon covered the ground, the tops meeting, and the 
crop was an excellent one, equal to any I ever had in England. Part 
of the ground, which was low and not well drained, produced large 
turnips, but not so sound or sweet as those grown on high ground 
In the same field. 
The whole were pulled early in November and thrown in heaps, 
then the tops were cut off and thrown to cattle, the turnips carted 
home and thrown into piles about six or seven feet wide at the bot¬ 
tom, and gradually coming to a point, which was about five feet from 
the ground. Mould a foot thick was thrown over them, leaving at 
every eight or ten feet a small hole to allow the warm moist vapor 
to escape, which always arises from the slight fermentation that takes 
place. No straw was used. The piles have been opened as want¬ 
ed for use, closing the aperture with an old door and some litter for 
the time, and we have lost none. Fifteen or sixteen loads were put 
into an old ice-house for a few weeks, but the stock did not eat them 
so readily as those which came out of the piles. I doubt whether 
any cellar will keep roots so well or so sweet as earth alone. The 
crop was excellent, both in quantity and quality, but no account was 
kept, even of the number of loads, yet there must have been more 
than three thousand bushels. Cattle from the first were extremely 
fond of them; a lot of native wethers were a long time in learning 
to eat them, but at length did well upon them. My own Southdown 
ewes having been fed on them, had abundance of milk in January, 
and thus my early lambs will go to grass in good condition. Pigs, 
old and young, are fond of them, and they need no cooking. In En¬ 
gland many store pigs are kept on scraps and bits of Swedish turnips 
left by cattle. 
Of the expense I can give no account, nor have I much faith in 
such accounts generally. The preparation of the ground, and the 
sowing, were interrupted by repeated rains, so in pulling them up 
the men were repeatedly stopped by frosts, and had to get them se¬ 
cured as they best could. The culture of tares is nothing, but hoe¬ 
ing turnips is expensive, yet more and better food is yielded by tur¬ 
nips than by any other crop on this loam. On strong soils mangold 
wurtzel would be a better crop, as such soils seldom grow good tur¬ 
nips ; but beets, to do well, should be sown in May, and are very liable 
to be hurt by early frost. Swedish turnips are not injured by even 
severe frosts, if used quickly after; but freezing and thawing will 
spoil them. Yours respectfully, 
Albany, March 11, 1834. S. HAWES. 
Yornvg Men’s Department. 
PLEASURES DERIVED FROM THE CONTEMPLATION OF NATURE. 
Nature, with maternal kindness, offers to all her children the most 
delightful and universal, as well as the least expensive, of all plea¬ 
sures. Such our first parents enjoyed in Paradise, and it is only de¬ 
pravity which leads men to delight in other recreations. Mankind 
are accustomed to despise the blessings they daily enjoy, and seek 
for amusements that afford them pleasure from their variety, and a 
succession of delight from their novelty : while the pleasures of na¬ 
ture exceed all others, are open to every one, and their enjoyment 
never leaves behind it the sting of remorse, or the tears of repen¬ 
tance. But we are so selfish as to disregard the charms of nature, 
because they are alike open to the eyes of the poor as to those of the 
rich ; and so foolish as to despise them, because of their cheapness : 
whereas nothing should gratify us more than to know, the same ob¬ 
jects which cause our delight constitute the happiness of millions. 
Compared with the noble and affecting pleasure such a consideration 
excites, how frivolous and deceitful are all those costly amusements 
and magnificent entertainments, which delight the rich and please 
the foolish ! their enjoyment often ends with disgust, and leaves as 
its portion a painful vacancy of soul; whilst nature, ever rich and 
bountiful, continually varies her charms, and offers new beauties to 
the admiring observer. 
All the pleasures which are the effects of art are of short duration,' 
and fleeting as the dream, the illusions of which vanish when we 
awake. But the exercise of reason, and the ever-varying pleasures 
of the imagination, last forever, and derive new strength from con¬ 
templating the works of nature, which call forth all the finer feelings 
of the heart. To see the starry heavens, the earth variegated with 
flowers, a thousand different landscapes, and prospects vying with 
each other in beauty ; and to listen to the evening song of the night¬ 
ingale wafted on the breeze, whilst all nature is retiring to repose, 
will ever fill our souls with delight, and gratify all our feelings. If 
any one is insensible to these beauties, and unaffected by their 
charms, it must be owing to his depravity, or the stupidity which he 
has acquired from inattention. The great science of Christianity, 
consists in the innocent enjoyment of every good which surrounds 
us; and he who practises this, possesses the art of deriving the 
means of happiness from every circumstance that does not injure his 
virtue, his intellect, or his feelings. Beneficent Creator! thou art 
mindful of us in this beautiful season, and providest us with abun¬ 
dant sources of pleasure ! Thou continually causest new springs of 
delight to open, and our hearts are filled with joy and gladness ! If 
we desire to elevate our hearts to thee, to indulge in holy medita¬ 
tion, and to enjoy celestial bliss, nature often offers us the most am¬ 
ple means. May we ever prefer this exalted satisfaction before all 
the pleasures of sense 1 In these sweet days of spring, may the en¬ 
joyments of nature’s purer pleasures be more gratelul to us than the 
allurements of sensual gratifications, which neither dignify the mind 
nor purify the heart! Teach us, O Lord, to acknowledge thy divine 
power and goodness; for it is by seeking to know thee in the varied 
and numerous works of thy creation, that we open to ourselves a 
pure and inexhaustable source of delight, and are enabled to enjoy, in 
this state of existence, a foretaste of the felicity which the righteous 
shall experience in thy presence for ever and ever!— Sturm. 
THE CULTIVATOR—JULY, 1834. 
TO IMPROVE THE SOIL AND THE MIND. 
The unprecedented cold weather which we experienced between 
the 12th and 15th May, seems to have extended its influence from 
the Mississippi to the Atlantic, and from Canada to the Potomac • 
and what is uncommon, the injury which it produced was less in cold* 
and elevated situations than in those of warmer temperature. In 
the valley of the Hudson, fruit of most kinds has been destroyed; 
and if some districts have been more favored than others, it has been 
those where vegetation has been most backward, and in high situ¬ 
ations. A few scattering pears, peaches, plums and cherries are 
seen upon the trees. Some apples that were late in coming into 
flower, and grapes that had been kept back, or had dormant buds, 
show indications of fruit. Fifteen miles west of this city, where ve¬ 
getation is ordinarily ten days later than upon the river, the apple 
blossom was not sufficiently developed to be injured, and there is the 
promise of a good crop of apples. We presume this was also the 
case in Schoharie, Otsego, and in the counties to the north. Their 
apples and cider are likely to find a good market in the autumn. 
Not only the fruit, but the trees, seem to have been seriously injur¬ 
ed, and in some cases destroyed, by the loss of their leaves. Their 
growth has since been languid and sickly, and we have noticed some 
