60 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
peaches and pears, and many grapes, the foliage of which was com¬ 
pletely killed by the frosts, that have not yet pushed forth a new 
leaf, and which are apparently dead. Such were most advanced in 
growth, when cut down by the frost. 
We perceive by the Ohio papers, that wheat and rye have been 
seriously injured in that state. Although these crops retained their 
green appearance, it was found, on splitting the stem, that the head 
of the grain, although enveloped by the sheath, was killed by the 
frosts. Some farmers were cutting down their grain for fodder, with 
the view of procuring a new growth from the roots, a method which 
is said to have been found to succeed, although the crop comes to 
maturity some weeks later than usual. 
We do not pretend to assign a natural cause for this phenomenon 
in our seasons ; but it is worthy of notice, that immediately after the 
cold spell which we annually experience in May or June, we hear oi 
polar ices being met with in our latitude upon the coast; and in the 
present instance we have seen mention made of icebergs having been 
met with about the 12th or 15th May, as low as lat. 36, which, if 
correctly stated, is an occurrence, we believe, unprecedented. On 
the 8ih May, 1802, snow fell at Pougkeepsie, and through the 
northern parts of the union generally, two to six inches in depth ; 
the cold weather continued to near the first of June, and yet, from 
the uninterrupted fine weather, with occasional showers, which fol¬ 
lowed, garden vegetables were earlier at table that summer than 
usual. I saw squashes on the 28th June, and green corn on the 6th 
July. B. 
COMPOSTS. 
Much has been said and written in favor of compost manures ; and 
under many circumstances they really afford a valuable accession to 
the fertilizing materials of a farm. But when the object to be ob¬ 
tained is not fully understood, they sometimes occasion a useless ex¬ 
penditure of labor. Composts are a mixture of animal dung, lime, 
ashes, vegetable matter, and earths,—two or more of them. The 
economy of composts consists in, first, saving the gaseous matter 
which escapes from manure while undergoing fermentation, and the 
liquids which flow from the dung-heap ; and second, in rendering ve¬ 
getable matter soluble, and food for plants, which was before inert 
and useless. Thus, if earth is mixed with and spread over a pile of 
dung while it is fermenting, it imbibes the volatile and liquid parts 
of the manure, which would otherwise be lost, and this becomes al¬ 
most as fertilizing as the manure itself. This fact shows that ma¬ 
nure loses much in fermenting, for it loses all the earth gains. If 
peaty or swamp earth is employed, a double object is gained ; for 
while it prevents waste in the manure, it is of itself converted into 
manure, (being composed of vegetable matter,) by the process of 
fermentation. But when the object is merely to prevent waste in 
the dung, the process is most economically effected in the soil, where 
both the gases and liquids will be retained, and by which the trans¬ 
portation of the earth to and from the dung yard is saved. When 
the manure cannot be conveniently used upon hoed crops, before fer¬ 
mentation, then a bedding and covering of earth for the pile is mat¬ 
ter of economy, and should not be omitted. So if it is desired to 
convert the vegetable deposite of swamps into manure, it may be 
readily and profitably done by alternating it in layers with hot dung. 
In this case one part of dung to three parts of swamp earth will 
suffice. A layer of dung, five or six feet broad, and as long as ne¬ 
cessary, is first deposited on a proper piece of ground, then a layer 
of earth over it; and in this way alternate layers should be added 
until the pile is five or six feet high. As soon as the mass gets in¬ 
to a state of fermentation, which may be ascertained by plunging 
into it a stick for a few moments, and ascertaining thereby its heat, 
the compost is fit for use. This will require weeks or months, ac¬ 
cording to the temperature of the weather. 
It will be perceived that composts in which no fermentation takes 
place, can be of little advantage. There is no volatile matter to 
be given off and no tendency exists to break down and render solu¬ 
ble ligneous and woody matter. Lime operates more powerfully 
than dung in inducing fermentation in vegetable matter, though it is 
not prudent to use it in combination with stable dung : I have fouud 
by experience, that it causes a too violent action, and dissipates 
nearly all its fertilizing properties. Composts are particularly adapt¬ 
ed to all the family of small grains, and for top-dressing grass 
grounds, where this latter practice is tolerated. Mere earthy mat¬ 
ters add nothing to the compost pile ; they merely prevent the waste 
of other materials which compose it. In making composts, there¬ 
fore, for field use, earths should be preferred which abound in vege¬ 
table matter ; and the litter, vegetable refuse, urine, soap suds, ash¬ 
es, &c. should be added, which are ordinarily wasted, and which 
form annually a large aggregate upon a farm. B. 
PROPER TIME FOR CUTTING GRAIN. 
We find an interesting article upon this subject in the Farmers’ 
Register, which details the result of the writer’s observation and 
practice for twelve or fourteen years, on an extensive farm. The 
length of the communication, and our restricted limits necessarily 
limit us to a brief notice of this communication. The writer admits, 
that if we could be sure of good weather, it would be best to omit 
reaping till both grain and straw are ripe; but as this cannot be the 
case, and as the crop suffers and loses greatly it not cut and secur¬ 
ed as soon as it is ripe, he is sure that a great saving will be found 
in reaping wheat as early as the state of the grain will permit. He 
considers that “ wheat is fit for the scythe when the grain is in the 
dough state .—no matter how soft, provided it is clear of milk, or when 
no fluid comes out separate from the dough, when the grain is mash¬ 
ed between the fingers. But no one square yard of wheat can be 
found, in which all the heads have reached this state at one time; 
and, therefore, when not more than one-tenth part of the grains con¬ 
tain milk, I think it safe to begin to reap.” “ My green reaping 
when first commenced (in 1821) was fully nine days earlier than was 
usual—and it was pronounced then that 1 was destroying my crop, 
by reaping it so green. My practice is still condemned by many, 
who, however, have gradually, and perhaps unconsciously, advanced 
the commencement of their harvests, until they are not more than 
two or three days behind mine.” The saving made in one season, 
by early reaping, when a long spell of rainy weather followed, which 
destroyed more than one-half of his neighbor’s crops, was enough 
to pay for all the loss incurred by that plan in twenty years. The 
writer does not believe that any thing is lost either in the weight or 
bulk of grain cut in the dough state ; and as to the quality of the 
grain tor making flour, he believes it generally conceded, that the 
wheat reaped green is the best. 
The truth of the foregoing remarks is corroborated by the opi¬ 
nions and practice of many of our best farmers. These observa¬ 
tions apply equally to other small grains, particularly to rye. The 
great objection to the practice is, that the grain is not fit to be bound, 
as it should be to prevent waste and save it from rain, soon after it 
is cut. This objection is obviated by making small sheaves, and put¬ 
ting them in “stooks” of about six sheaves each, by setting the 
stubble ends of the sheaves far enough apart to give sufficient base, 
and letting the heads of all lean together so as to form a point.— 
These throw off a light rain, and will dry as they stand if made wet 
by heavy rain. When dry they maybe put into shocks. 
THE VINE. 
“ Observations on the character and culture of the European vine, 
during a residence of five years in the vine-growing districts of 
France, Italy and Switzerland, by S. T. Fisher, —to which is add¬ 
ed, the manual of the Swiss Vigneron, as adopted and recommend¬ 
ed by the agricultural societies of Geneva and Bern, by M. Brun 
Chaffins, and the art of wine-making, by M. Bulos.” The above 
is the title of a neat 12mo. volume which has been sent to us for ex¬ 
amination. 
It has become matter of serious doubt, whether the European 
vine can be successfully or profitably cultivated in the United States, 
for the purpose of making wine,—or even for table use, in this lati¬ 
tude, without the protection of walls or glass. It is subject to blight 
and mildew, and our September frosts are liable to overtake it, ere 
the fruit attains maturity. Mr. Fisher, however, thinks it may be 
acclimated, at least in Pennsylvania. The vine, he says, is not in¬ 
digenous in Switzerland. It has been frequently found, he says, 
that the plants of foreign cuttings, though arrived at the proper age, 
and possessing a vigorous maturity, have refused to unfold a solitary 
flower. Cuttings from such plants have produced blossoms, which, 
however, proved abortive. “ From the plants of succeeding cut¬ 
tings other cuttings have been cultivated, following up the system 
for several seasons, till in the end a complete success has crowned 
the experiment; and it has been found that the process of acclimat¬ 
ing the stranger plant has not reached its full accomplishment, until 
it has passed through four, and sometimes five generations of the 
vine.”—p. 62. 
To show that good wine does not always depend upon fertility of 
