52 
THE riTLTIYATOR. 
“ It will be seen in every case, that the hills of three stalks, produced less 
Shan th se of four, and those of four less than those of five. In this view it 
may be considered as five experiments, all giving the same result, notwith¬ 
standing some of the hills occupied but about half the quantity of ground usu¬ 
ally given them in our field culture. The average of five rows, one from each 
parcel, is as follows, viz: 
3 stalks in a hill, 46 bushels, 11 lbs. per acre. 
4 stalks in a hill, 52 bushels, 42 lbs. per acre. 
5 stalks in a hill, 54 bushels; 20 lbs. per acre. 
“ The difference of average between three and five stalks is eight bushels 
six pounds per acre. 
“It will be seen also, in every instance but one, or eleven times in twelve, 
diminishing the distance between the hills increased the product of the ground. 
The average of each parcel is as follow s, viz: 
3 feel 6 inches between hills gave 44 bushels 1 I lbs. per acre. 
3 feet 3 inches, da 44 bushels 57 1'hs. per acre. 
3‘feet, do 51 bushels 40 lbs. per acre. 
2 feet 9 inches, da 55 bushels 45 lbs. per acre. 
2 feel (i inches, do 57 bushels 36 lbs. per acre. 
“ The difference of pFoduct between the average ol hills at two feet six ! 
inches, and that of hills at three feet six inches, is thirteen bushels twenty- 
two pounds per acre.” 
J. H. J. iii the Maine Farmer, corroborates our repeated remarks 
and experience, that unfermented manures are best for Indian 
corn. Having manured a field part with fermented, and part with 
unfermented manure, the corn planted upon the former, had a sur¬ 
prising advantage, in the outset, over the latter. “ The difference 
was so great, that you might tell where the fermented manure was 
put as tar as you could see the field, as the stalks grew about 
twice as large. But, to ! at harvest, the ears were hardly worth 
gathering*, whilst that part on which the green manure was put, I 
was a fair crop of corn.” We would ask the advocates for fer- j 
mented manures, if tins fair crop of corn, grown upon unferment¬ 
ed manure, did not derive all its superiority from the food which 
that manure gave off in the process of fermentation; and if so, 
whether the fermented manure had not lost much of its fertilizing 
properties by fermenting, before it was applied to the, crop ? The 
gases which unavoidably escape from fermenting manure, and 
which are lost to the farm if the manure ferments above ground, 
are as much the food of plants, as the black carbonaceous matter I 
which remains after the dung Isas rotted ; and the benign mecha¬ 
nical effects upon the soil of the former, are thrice as beneficial 
as those of the latter. 
The Peach .—A correspondent at Bradford, near Newburyport, 
Mass, somewhat north of our latitude, says :—“ I have been thus 
far very successful in rearing the peach tree, and in the amount 
and perfectness of the fruit, which I attribute, among other things 
to three causes. First, I set them upon rather dry and sandy land, 
but thoroughly manured from year to year. Secondly, I train them 
in the form of bushes rather than trees. Thirdly, take pains to 
have the crown of the tree well protected both winter and summer; 
and, if I may be permitted to add another, after having fixed up¬ 
on the number of reasons, not suffering too much fruit to be re¬ 
served on the trees in any one year.” 
The Winter lias been less hurtful to fruit trees in this neighbor¬ 
hood than was expected. Most of our peach trees are shooting 
forth their foliage, though their blossom buds have been destroyed 
here, as we believe they have generally been in the northern and 
northwestern states. Although, as we learn, the plum, and even 
the apple trees, have been seriously injured south of us, we heat- 
no complaints of injury here. Hardy grape-vines, left upon the 
trellace, have been injured in their fruit buds, and in some instan¬ 
ces they have been killed down to the ground. We owe our ex¬ 
emption from greater injury to the snow which formed a good co¬ 
vering to the ground at the time oFthe severe cold weather. Our 
practice is. and we recommend it as a wise precaution to others 
in our latitude, to take our Isabella and Catawba grapes from the 
trellace when we prune them in the fall, and either lay them close 
on the surface, or cover them slightly with earth. The magnolias, 
catalpa, paper mulberry, alianthus, Chinese arbor vitae, evergreen 
thorn, and other exotics, have suffered more severely than ever 
before known. Plums will give but a light crop of fruit, but the 
apple and pear promise abudantly. 
C. L. W., who dates at Canaan, asks, either jeeringly or in ear¬ 
nest, for “the best and most expeditions method of preparing 
saw-dust for manure?” We really doubt whether it can be pro¬ 
fitably prepared by any artificial process. In reply to our corres¬ 
pondent’s next query, whether breeding in-and-in, or cross-breed¬ 
ing, is best in the rearing of domestic animals, we have no hesita¬ 
tion in saying, that Ihe latter is decidedly preferable. We thank 
C. L. W. for nis hint in regard to the ladies, and we will endea¬ 
vor to profit by it. 
Asparagus .—I do not like the asparagus which I meet with on 
the tables of city hotels. It is white, to be sure, but it is tough, 
ligneous and often bitter, and the most part of it not edible. This 
arises from an error in the cultivator, countenanced and encou¬ 
raged by the buyer. It is owing to thd asparagus bed being co¬ 
vered with a layer of earth or sand', that the grass may become 
blanched. The blanched part is what I dislike. If this dressing 
of earth is omitted, and the crowns suffered to remain near the 
surface, within the genial influence of the warm air, the growth 
is more rapid, and the grass all perfectly tender, edible and rich. 
Query.—“ Is it best to take out the manure in the spring, and 
put on our corn or potato crops, or 1o take it out in the fall for 
our wheat crops ?”— C. S. Candee, Glenville. 
Answer .—It is best to take the manure from the yards in the 
spring, for the corn and potato crops, to spread it equally, and 
plough it under while moist. The corn may be cut early in Sep¬ 
tember, and wheat sown on the ground by the 25lh of same month.. 
The manure will still be nearly or quite as beneficial to the wheat 
as if it lies during the summer to rot in the yard. [See remarks 
on Mr. Kinzer’s communication of, &c.] 
Cisterns. —A correspondent at Bridgetown, N. J., (E. Holmes,) 
asks, “ What kind of mortar should be used in constructing cis¬ 
terns that will not leak ?” We have had two built with brick and: 
common lime mortar, the lime fresh burnt, and then well plastered 
on the inside with mortar made with water lime. They have re¬ 
mained tight hitherto. The most approved mode is to take for 
three part of lime, one part of terras, ochre, ground iron ore, or 
smithy slack (the dust of a blacksmith’s shop,)—and blend them 
well with the sand in mortar. 
The Italian Rye Grass is found, on trial, to do well in Ireland 
and Scotland. It has afforded two good cuttings the season it was 
sown, the growth having been 4 feet 8 inches, and 4 feet 6 inches 
—and cut the 31st of July and last of September. The herbag*e 
was healthy and green till December. 
CORES KSPONDEXCE. 
Spring Lawn , Peqitea, Lari. Co. Pa. 1335. 
Dear Sir—Your distinguished reputation, acquired by a well di¬ 
rected zeal and observation, as a scientific agriculturist, affords me 
not only an apology for thus addressing you, but a sufficient gua¬ 
rantee, that the information which 1 so much desire, will be readily 
communicated. 
Hav.ng understood that you have improved a farm near Albany 
from a very low, to a very high state of cultivation, I shall feel 
myself much indebted to you for a description of the < rigina! com¬ 
ponent parts of the soil of said farm, i. e. clay, gravel, sand, fcc.; 
whether upland or lowland, if any swampy land, bow drained, &.c. 
Did you apply fossil manures? if so, in what manner, ami in what 
season of the year? If you applied stable manure principally, please 
name your seasons for applying the same, as also, the state of the 
manure; whether recent or fermented. I am informed you are in 
possession of a productive species of corn, which matures suffi¬ 
ciently early in the season, to put the coni land down to wheat, in 
autumn after harvesting the corn crop—a very great desideratum 
in th s vicinity. Will you be kind enough to transmit me some 
grains of said corn by mail without delaj? If a. few sound grains 
should arrive in the present planting season, the favor shall be 
thankfully acknowledged. 'From what I can learn by your wri¬ 
tings, and that of your cotemporaries in (lie East, concerning, ma¬ 
nures, I find Sir Humphrey Davy’s opinion uniformly adopted, i. e. 
that the most valuable nutriin nt for plants, viz. carbon, ammonia, 
&gc. waste and evaporate from manure heaps, when left over year 
to ferment. I have heretofore committed myself in the same opi¬ 
nion, but the impression that Davy's theory is merely ideal, and 
practical experience having with me, set inquiry on tiptoe, as it 
were, I investigated this interesting subject for a few years past 
