1854 . 
45 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
sward two years-5 break with, flat furrow as deep as 
convenient, late in autumn before the severe frosts in¬ 
jure the vegetable matter ; let it settle till planting 
season and then harrow until mellow. Be sure to har¬ 
row enough, for there is no fear of working the soil 
too much, and few think that one day’s work in spring 
will save four at hoeing time. Mark both ways with 
a marker which will make four marks three and a 
half feet apart; be careful 'to go straight, so that you 
can do your hoeing with a cultivator. Plant in inter¬ 
sections, after putting one spoonful of gypsum in each 
hill. Plant good seed, and no more than you wish to 
grow. This will save a vast amount of bending while 
hoeing. At first hoeing, put a small handful of ashes 
on each hill; hoe two or three times as circumstances 
require, and you are sure of a good growth. I find 
that the plaster increases the product fifty per cent., 
or more, which is a better dividend than all the rail¬ 
roads, banks, manufacturing or mining companies in 
the Union pay. - 
I harvest by Cutting near the ground, and putting in 
small stooks before fully ripe, where it is left until 
cured. The stalks, if harvested in this manner, will 
half pay the expense of the crop ; and are eagerly de¬ 
voured by most kinds of stock. I find them to be the 
best feed ever used for cows. Butter made while feed¬ 
ing them, is always of a beautiful color, and an excel¬ 
lent flavor. 
Under this treatment, I have always succeeded in 
obtaining a remunerating harvest, while some of my 
neighbors often! do not get corn enough to pay expen¬ 
ses ; and when they are informed 'of the beneficial re¬ 
sults arising from the use of plaster and ashes, they 
say they cannot afford to pay for ground stone to throw 
away, and that they do not believe in book farming. 
Yours truly, Frank Parlin. 
Self-Sharpening Yankee Feed Gutter. 
Editors Country Gentleman —In number 49 of 
your paper, you say, in answer to a correspondent, that 
u a cheap and perfect straw cutter has not yet been 
made.” Will you allow me to present to your notice 
a machine of that kind, which, although it may not 
be quite perfect, yet I am convinced, from thorough' 1 
trial, is as near perfection as any cutter ever made. 
It works on an entirely different principle, so far as I 
can learn, from any now in use, and is vastly superior 
in simplicity, economy, ease of working, and—what 
will be a great recommendation to most farmers—ease 
of keeping in repair. The chief point of difference is 
this: it has only one knife, and that is stationary. It 
is placed horizontally at the end of the feeding-box; 
and the cutting is performed by two sets of spiral 
flanges, above and below the knife, drawing the hay, 
straw or cornstalks up to and against the knife. And 
here is an important difference. Instead of cutting 
perpendicularly to the grain of the straw (so to speak) 
as the common hide-roller cutters do, the flanges being 
spiral, the cut is made with a shearing motion, thus 
cutting with much greater ease. It is known, I be- 
. . — — - . 1 - 1 - - 1 .- — 
lieve, as “ The Self-Sharpening Yankee Feed Cutter,” 
■from its tendency to keep the knife sharp all the time; 
the effect being the same as in honing a razor, edge 
forwards, the flanges doing here what the hone does 
in the case ” of a razor. I believe quite a number of 
different sizes are manufactured, of all prices, from $6 
up to $1Y, and to cut from half an inch, upwards. 
The larger sizes, being very powerful machines, are 
peculiarly adapted to the cutting of cornstalks, (which 
will yet be the farmer’s great dependance for winter 
fodder,) being cut and steamed, when they are very 
nutritious. From the peculiar position of the knife, 
the stalks are not only cut into small pieces, but are 
also split. I have never found any other machine 
which will at all compete with this in all the particu¬ 
lars above mentioned. It was patented by A. S. Ma- 
combee, and is now manufactured considerably in 
Massachusetts and Connecticut, a joint stock company 
having purchased the right for the latter State, and 
the counties of New-York along the Hudson river. I 
have been informed by a friend who owns one of the 
larger sizes, that he has cut up corn on the ear with it, 
so that it could be easily ground without cracking. 
My own machine, though of rather small size, will 
easily and rapidly cut up middling sized stalks, and 
I am so well pleased with it that I shall not use any 
other kind hereafter. Another great advantage of 
this kind is, that the knife need never be taken from 
its place to be ground. By simply putting some flour 
of emery and oil on the edge of the flanges and turn¬ 
ing them backwards, the knife is ground up as good as 
new. I hope you will excuse this long -letter; but if I 
can benefit my brother farmers by bringing to their 
notice any labor-saving machine like this, I shall be 
abundantly satisfied. A Subscriber who has tried. 
Birmingham , Conn. 
Information Wanted. 
Messrs. Editors —In the December number of the 
Cultivator, page 168,1 find a very interesting and satis¬ 
factory account of an experiment in the application of 
different kinds of manure to the raising of Indian corn, 
by II. II. Eastman, Marshall, Oneida eo., N. Y., and 
would like, through you, or some of your numerous 
readers, to learn further upon the same and similar 
subjects. And, first, can Indian corn be raised with 
any of the manures named in the above experiment, 
(barnyard manure excepted,) with success, and at the 
same time so impr ore the soil as to prepare it for 
oats, grass, <f>c. ? If so, which kinds, what quanti¬ 
ties of each, and how applied ? 
2d. Can any of the manures alluded to above be 
used with success on pastures or mowings ? and if so, 
please name the kinds, the quantity needed, the sea¬ 
son most favorable for the application, and how often 
is it necessary to repeat the top-dressing ? 
3d. Can either kind of the manures 'alluded to, be 
profitably used as a top-dressing on reclaimed swamp 
or muck lands now in mowing ? If any can be so 
used, which kinds, and in what quantities, and at 
what season of the year ? 
In communicating. through the Cultivator the expe¬ 
rience of yourself, or some of your readers, on the 
above points, you will doubtless gratify many, and 
much oblige one who wishes to convert the waste and 
barferfinto fruitful fields. S. Deming. Farmington, 
CL, Bee., 1853. 
We hope some of our readers who have experience 
in the matter, will reply to the above inquiries. 
