124 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
outside rows. Tile produce was 8J bushels of ears, large measure, w hich 
is a fraction over 99 bushels of shelled corn to the acre. The same quan¬ 
tity of the land, where the hog manure was used, did not produce 50 
bushels to the acre. The land was as near equal in quality as could be— 
planted the same day, with the same kind ot seed, and treated exactly 
alike, except in the manuring and plastering. I have learned since trying 
the experiment, that flock has been used by some in this country, as a 
manure; yet I believe the value of it is not generally known. You 
will make such use of the above information as you think proper. 
Very respectfully your ob’t serv’t, J. BURROWS. 
PATENT CHEESE-SHELVES. 
Mr. Bt'Er, —Dear Sir—I deem it due to the public to offer for the 
columns of the “ Cultivator," some notice of “ The semi-revolving cheese 
lack or shelves”—an improvement for which Mr. Henry Weber, of East 
Richfield, Otsego county, has lately obtained a patent, and which I doubt 
not, will meet the approbat on of every dairy man who will make irial of 
the same, and which, I think, will go into general use at no very remote 
period. The saving in labor and risk of the cheese are great, and the ex¬ 
pense of fitting up a new room on his plan would not greatly exceed that 
in common use, as the room may be much smaller. 
One rack with C shelves six feet long, 2b inches wide, set 11 inches 
apart, will hold 18 cheeses weighing from 100 to 140 lbs. each, suspend¬ 
ed by a wooden shall 2 inches square, resting on 2 rails extending the 
whole length of the room, 3£ feet high, or if only a single rack, on 2 
posts; each rack requires about 4 feet on the length of the rails, lo turn 
well.—and its cost will not exceed .6 dollars, including the materials of 
which it is made. 
On this system, the cheese dries much faster, as it is turned on to the 
dry side of the shelf every day, and has a sound and dry rind. He has 
one set of extra shelves, which are slipped in close about the cheese be- j 
fore turned, on w hich shelf the cheese lies when turned ovei; the others j 
are then liberated for another rack, and so on tbiough the room. By the 
aid of these 6 extra shelves the cheese need not tall but a trifle, if any. 
An examination of this improvement may be had by any one calling on 
Mr. Weber, at East Richfield, or the subscriber, in South Trenton Oneida 
county._ EPHR AIM PERKINS. 
NEW CONTRIVANCE. 
Jesse Bcel—D ear Friend—Having found it troublesome to boil po¬ 
tatoes for my stock in a potash kettle, and to get them out of the water 
when cooked, I had a thing made that has very much lessened the diffi¬ 
culty. 
It is a square wooden basket about 24 inches at top, 20 inches at bot¬ 
tom and 17 inches deep; frame of oak 2 by ) j inches with oak slats of 1 
inch, and same distance apart, to fill sides and bottom, two of the top 
rails projecting at each end, made longer than the diameter at the kettle, 
serving as handles to lilt the basket and as a rest on the brim of the kettle 
for the purpose of keeping the potatoes above the water in it. I first put 
the potatoes into the basket, and by throwing upon them a few pailsful of 
water, and a person at each end lilting and shaking them, most of the 
dirt is washed out; then set the basket in the kettle with only water 
enough to reach the bottom of the basket, thiow a piece of old carpet 
over the kettle to keep in the steam, make a brisk fire and the potatoes 
are soon fit to put on a table. 
A boy at each end can lift the basket out, refil, and set another mess 
cooking in a short time, a little hot water should be added as each new 
mes3 is put into the kettle to replace the waste by steam. 
In the last Cultivator, under the article “ The Roller,” you speak of 
‘‘the spiked roller which is used for pulverizing stiff soils preparatory 
for wheat.” I was before ignorant of such an implement, but had con¬ 
cluded to make one for the purpose of disturbing the moles, which are 
numerous and destructive in my newly made clover fields. It has also 
occurred to my mind that a narrow rotary harrow may be constructed to 
till growing corn advantageously, and I mention it in hopes that some 
ingenious person may propose a model, or construct one. 
Thy assured friend, ROB. WHITE, Jr. 
Shrewsbury, 10 th Mo. IS:..5. 
CANADA THISTLES AND SWEET ELDER. 
There is nothing that indicates in a greater degree, the spirit of improve¬ 
ment among our farmers, than the frequent queries that are made in the 
agricultural papers, in respect to “ the best ways and means” of manag¬ 
ing their lands,—and the frequent answers that are given to such ques¬ 
tions by scientific agriculturists. It is thus that any iufoimation obtained 
by one man, either by scientific observation or by accidental causes, be¬ 
comes the public property, and is equalized through the community. 
For instance, it has been found difficult to^onstruct Ice Houses in a 
gravelly soil, that would keep ice through the summer. But it has been 
ascertained by philosophical experiment and observation, that tan bark is 
a most perfect non-conductor of heat,—and that, consequently, by sur¬ 
rounding the ice 2 or 3 feet in such tan, it can be kept with ease and cer¬ 
tainty. 
So algo in regard to Cider —it is satisfactorily settled by experience — 
the best teacher of wisdom,—that after it is placed in the cellar in barrels, 
the bung should never be taken out, —allowing only a smallgimbtet hole, 
for a vent, to prevent the fermentation from bursting the banels. Cider 
thus kept, is lar superior to that which is exposed in a greater degree lo the 
open air. And so I could goon almost ad infinitum, illustrating the same idea. 
These to be sure, are smalt things,—but remember, the mountain is 
composed of mites,—and that many small things, well conducted, go to 
make up the mass of a family’s happiness and prosperity. 
The poet says, 
“Great oaks from little acorns grow. 
“Large streams from little fountains flow.” 
A neighbor of mine, who is also a constant reader of the excellent and 
useful paper, the Cultivator, desires me to say that he had on Ins farm, 
last year, a quantity of Canada Thistles, grow ing very thrifty,— that just 
before the blosso .is began to open, he caused them to be mown, and 
every one of them were entirely destroyed, root and branch. He thinks, 
and others have expressed the same opinion, that by mowing them at the 
particular time, just before they begin to blossom, they are sure to be 
destroyed. Some people think they must be cut at a particular lime dur¬ 
ing the moon’s changes in order to kill them. How much influence the 
moon has on Canada thistles, I shall leave to all the old women and Sir 
John Herschel to determine! 
I have heard it suggested that the severe frost of last w inter killed many 
Canada thistles. If so, it makes good the old adage,—“There is no great 
evil w ithout some good.” 
A friend wishes me to inquire of the numerous readers of thp Cultiva¬ 
tor, if they know of any method ol destroying the Sweet Elder. It 
grows very luxuriantly on his farm, and is very troublesome. He has 
j tried to kill them by repeated mowing—but it rather seems to increase 
I their growth. He has also tried ploughing and pulling them up—but all 
| to no purpose, as they will grow again from a small root—anil some land 
is so wet it cannot be ploughed 
Can any one tell how to exterminate the Sweet Elder 1" If they pos¬ 
sess any such information and will communicate it for the Cultivator, 
tlmy will do a favor to at least one JVew-England Farmer. 
Bernardston, Mass. Oct. 1835. H. W. C. 
To the Conductor of the Cultivator. —Sir—I think if.I understand thy 
suggestions in the Cultivator, for to say that you feel yourself ex¬ 
cused from giving the public any information on the subject of rearing and 
feeding silk worms, as some one has issued a paper devoted lo that sub¬ 
ject j ~ I confess that I -should not be satisfied to take a paper that would 
tolerate the idea, that farmers should be at the expense and trouble to 
take one paper devoted to the improvement of Indian corn, another to 
1 potatoes, and a third, to treat of the matter and efficacy of manures. The 
paper that farmers should patronize, should treat of every subject con¬ 
nected with farming, and indeed of every subject connected with rural 
[economy. I therefore conclude, that notwithstanding Mr. Blydenburgh’s 
very respectable paper, you will think it an object to give your patrons all 
!the light on the subject of rearing and feeding silk worms, that may be 
'in jour power—and to render that information useful to the people, I 
^should think, as a proper means of encouraging the glow III ot s.lk, you 
I also should inform cottagers and operatives how to reel and prepare their 
'silk for market. All Ihese subjects are so intimately connected with ag¬ 
riculture, and the subject is so new in this country, it should supersede 
' other matters. I learn ftom the few publications 1 have seen, that a great 
mortality often attends the feeding of silk worms. 
The only silk worms I have ever seen were of my own hatching last 
spring. A very polite neighborsent me about 500ova, which were hatch¬ 
ed at the right lime to be fed from thr. e small mulberry trees of two years’ 
growth, that I had procured for o nament, rather than use. From these 
trees, one about 7 feet, the other about 2£ feet high, I collected proba¬ 
bly food enough for my worms until three days before they began to spin. 
And then the consumption was so great that I was obliged to inquire for 
the wild mulberry of the neighborhood, ar.d this brought me to examine 
the varieties that our woods and lulls produce. Some had small hard 
leaves, others bore iaige stiff thick leaves like unto the drawing No. I f 
These produce very tine fruit, and the last I found in my search was a 
tree growing on the (arm of Jacob R. Snyder, Esquire, near the Rosen- 
dale Bridge ; this grew on the side of a steep mountain, very much in 
* Our Massachusetts correspondent w ill find this inquiry answer* d by a Neiv- 
Jersey Farmer, Simeon M’t'oy, in page 81 of this volume—another evidence 
of the facility afforded by agricultural papers, of diffusing Useful agricultural 
knowledge. 
f We now publish, that we shall take cognizance of whatever concerns the 
silk grower, and thank Agricola for Ins hints, as well as tor his practical in¬ 
formation on the subject.— Co/id. 
j; The drawings here referred to came to hand, and may he examined at the 
Cultivator Office. No. 1 is about 8 inches long, above the footstalk, ai.d of 
like breadib, and is mneb conlracied in the longitudinal centre, resembling in 
shape the form of the leaves of the common while Mulberry. No. 2 resem¬ 
bles the leal of the Chinese Mulberry, and is 8 inches broad and more than 
19 long, narrowed and puinted at the apex. No. 3 is about 11 inches broad 
and the same in length. 
