THE CULTIVATOR. 
149 
as man ; and the same precautions which go to secure the health of 
the latter, are essentially requisite to promote the well being of the 
former. Hence the importance of having clean and well ventilated 
stables and sheds, of removing the dung so that it does not undergo 
fermentation in their yards, and of giving them wholsome exercise. 
6. In the planting of our seeds. The atmosphere being essential 
to germination, all seeds should be deposited in the soil within its 
reach—they should be put just so low as will barely secure about 
them moisture enough to assist their germination. We have reason 
to think, that small seeds are often deposited too low ; and that even 
if they germinate, the food which the cotylidons affords, and which 
is their only support till the seminal leaves are developed, is not suf¬ 
ficient to carry the plant to the earth’s surface, where the leaves 
can alone exercise their office. 
7. In the management of our field and garden crops. The earths 
have a strong affinity for water, when pulverent and loose, but com¬ 
paratively little when compact or crusted. In the former case they 
act like the sponge, transmitting the dews which fall upon them, 
and the food of plants with which they are impregnated, to the roots 
of vegetables. But where the earth is compact, or become encrust¬ 
ed by alternate rains and sunshine, the dews do not penetrate, but 
are dissippated by the first rays of the morning sun. Hence the 
best preventive against the evils of drought, is the frequent stirring 
of the surface, and keeping it constantly permeable to atmospheric 
air, and the vegetable nutrition with which it abounds. We re¬ 
member a remarkable illustration of the utility of frequently stirring 
the surface of cultivated lands, detailed by Curwen, a distinguished 
British agriculturist. He prepared a field of stiff forbidding land, 
and planted it with cabbages. His neighbors all declared he would 
get no crop ; but he put a horse and cultivator into it, and subject¬ 
ed it to almost constant stirring during the growing season. The 
result was, he gathered an immense crop, some of the cabbages 
weighing over 50 lbs. each. The farmer may derive great benefit 
from this practice in the culture of drilled and hoed crops, provided 
he does not go so deep as to cut the roots of his plants, or throw his 
manure to the surface. And, 
Lastly, we may profit from the facts we have detailed, in the ma¬ 
nagement of our manure, the basis of fertility to our soils. The 
whole of the matter of dead plants and of animals, is susceptible of 
being transmuted into the matter of living plants, by the ordinary 
processes of nature; and it is capable, however solid it may seem, 
of being reduced to liquid or gaseous forms. Indeed, it proceeds to 
take these forms immediately, on its losing its vitality, as soon as it 
comes in contact with air, heat and water, the great agents of de¬ 
composition. The moment manures begin to ferment, the waste of 
vegetable food begins ; carbonic acid gas is disengaged, and is scat¬ 
tered by the winds ; the oxygen of the atmosphere, uniting with the 
hydrogen of the mass, forms water, which settles into the ground, 
or is carried off by rains; and the mass is reduced in volume, and 
when fermentation has exhausted its force, it has lost one-half of 
its fertilizing properties. If the fermentation takes place in the dung 
yard, or upon the field, this half is lost to all useful purposes for the 
farm. If it takes place in the soil, the earth imbibes it, and the 
plants growing thereon are fed and nourished by it—the grasses and 
liquids are converted into the solid matter of the growing crop. 
We have thus endeavored briefly, though we fear but imperfectly, 
to illustrate some few of the benefits which may result to the farmer 
from an acquaintance with physical science. We may renew the 
subject hereafter. 
NOTES ON FARMING. 
FROM OUR MEMORANDUM BOOK. 
Breeding. —It is laid down by Cline, and sanctioned by practised 
breeders, that any improvement of form by crossing, must depend 
entirely on the selecting a well formed female, larger in size than 
the usual proportion between females and males. Let the male be 
rather small with good points. Sinclair, p. 61. The Hollanders 
manage upon this principle, and seldom employ a bull when over 
two or three years old. A cross of a merino buck with a Liecester 
ewe, in the course of four or five generations, will produce fleeces 
rivalling in fineness Spanish fleeces (1)— Sinclair, p. 14. 
Growth of Trees. —A plantation in Norfolk, Eng. 30 years old, 
gave the following dimensions, five feet from the ground :—Scotch 
firs 39 inches in circumference, larch 36, beach 32, alder 32, ash 21, 
oak and chesut 28.— Marshall. The inhabitants of our old settle¬ 
ments will learn from this, when it is time to begin to plant timber 
trees for their children. The present forests of Great Britain have 
been all planted by the hand of man. 
Planting. —“A landholder,” says Cato, “should apply himself to 
planting of his fields while in youth, but he ought to think long be¬ 
fore he builds. He ought not to think about planting, but he ought 
to do it. When he is about thirty-six years of age he may build, 
provided his fields are planted.” 
The fact with us seems to be, that we do not find time to plant 
when we are young, and when we are old we consider it too late— 
for we are unwilling to sow where we are not likely to reap the 
harvest. We should at least preserve, if we will not plant. 
Fellenbergh’s School of Agriculture.—Two only of the pupils have 
left Hoffwyl for a place, says Simond, before the end of their time; 
and one of them, with M. de Fellenbergh’s leave, is become mana¬ 
ger of the immense estate of Count Aboffy in Hungary, and has 
doubled its proceeds by the improved methods of husbandry he has 
introduced. This young man, whose name is Maderly, was a beg¬ 
gar boy, and not particularly distinguished at school. Another di¬ 
rects a school established near Zurich. M. Fellenbergh has be¬ 
sides a number of pupils of the higher classes, some of whom belong 
to the first families in German}', Russia and Switzerland. They 
live enfamille with their master, and are instructed by the different 
tutors, in the theory and practice of agriculture, and in the arts and 
sciences on which it is founded. 
Carrots are sown in Flanders, in the spring, upon winter and 
spring grain,—and give a crop after the grain is harvested.— Sinclair. 
We have little doubt but the practice, upon deep ameliorated soils, 
would answer tolerably well here, as the carrot makes most of its 
growth after midsummer, when the grain is harvested. 
Milk. —To divest this, and butter, from the taste of turnips, cab¬ 
bage, wild onions, or other offensive plants, on which the cows have 
fed, put a quart of boiling water into each pailful of milk, when it 
comes from the cow.— Marshall. We have tried, and found it suc¬ 
cessful. The principle of flavor is volatile, and the heat of the water 
dissipates it. 
Yard Racks. —A friend from Orange has given us a drawing of a 
convenient and economical rack, to be used in cattle yards, if cattle 
must be fed there, in extensive use in that county. It consists of 
four scantling or other posts, six feet long, connected together by 
slats, strips of boards six feet in length, and supported by diagonal 
braces extending from the top of one post to the bottom of the frame 
—the whole forming a six feet square. The slats are carried so 
high as to permit animals to reach the bottom over them—and it is 
advisable to floor the bottom. In these the straw or hay is put for 
the stock. The advantages which it offers are two—it prevents 
the fodder getting under the cattle’s feet, and thereby being wasted 
—and it in a measure prevents the weak animals being driven from 
their food by the strong—four being accommodated at each rack 
without interfering. The number of racks can be graduated to the 
stock. 
Agricultural Associations. —Dr. Brewster, in speaking of the Bri¬ 
tish Board of Agriculture, which has been so eminently useful in ad¬ 
vancing the improvement of British agriculture, enumerates the fol¬ 
lowing among the advantages which resulted from its establishment. 
“ Two advantages among many may be mentioned: 1st. A great number of 
new men were brought forward by the board, whose names would probably 
otherwise never have been heard of; and those being chiefly practical people, 
who were professionally concerned in firm management, agriculture, by their 
endeavors, was rescued from the hands of theorists, and a revolution of no 
small extent accomplished in rural affairs. 2dly. Before the board was insti¬ 
tuted, the bond of connection among agriculturists w as slender, and served few 
useful purposes. Each trusted to his own information, and knew little more 
about the practice of conterminous districts, than those of China, or the most 
distant country. The establishment of the board removed at once all these 
evils and difficulties. A common fortress, erected for the benefit of all agri¬ 
culturists, and to which each might resort for advice and protection, was im¬ 
mediately recognized. It made farmers, who resided in the most distant quar¬ 
ters of the kingdom, acquainted with one another, and caused a rapid dissemi¬ 
nation of knowledge among the whole profession. The art of agriculture was 
brought into fashion, old practices were amended; new ones introduced, and 
a degree of exertion manifested which had never before been exemplified in this 
island.” 
Pudnefs Patent Horse-Rake. —We have seen a model of this 
rake, and, so far as we can judge from mere observation, we think 
it superior to any we have before seen. It not only revolves, but 
when it turns it gathers the hay again immediately at the base of 
