1854 . 
THE CULTIVATOR 
47 
compactness of the farrow slice. Then the rain and 
frost will be abl.e to effect its pulverization in the most 
desirable and perfect manner. By plowing with a 
plow that turns a round or convex furrow slice, the 
ground is prepared for the raki and frost to perform 
their office. By plowing with lap or flat furrows, we 
leave a task for the frost and rain which they are una¬ 
ble to perform, which the plow should have^ done, and 
then wonder why the result should be so different from 
what we anticipated. By turning the furrow with a 
plow that rolls a thin sod together and encircles it 
complete!^ with well pulverized super soil and sub-soil 
on all sides to the depth of three or four inches, the 
soil is prepared in the most perfect manner possible for 
rain and frost to perform their work, and to preclude 
the risk of the elements of fertility being washed away 
by drenching rains. 
When sod ground is plowed in the fall or winter we 
do not expect to plow it again in the spring, and there¬ 
fore, as a security against worms, the latter part of 
November, or in December, January or February, if 
the ground is not frozen, is as good a time as autumn. 
In December, 1852, I plowed a. fell for com, with 
round furrow slice, and to the depth of ten to fourteen 
inches; and although snow covered the ground of most 
of it to the depth of three and four inches while I was 
plowing, the operation was so well performed that a 
friend "of mine, one week after the work was done, 
thought it appeared more like a summer fallow that 
had just been cross-plowed than like sod. Although 
the worms were numerous in the soil, thousands were 
seen perished in the cold. Their winter retreat was 
broken up, and I lost but a few hills of corn by them. 
S. Edwards Todd. Lake Ridge , Tompkins co ., N. Y. 
Raising Poultry. 
Editors Co. Gentleman :—As raising poultry is be¬ 
coming a matter of considerable interest, I send you a 
few remarks on my experience, and some calculations 
which I have made, thinking they might be interest¬ 
ing to those who like myself have had an attack of the 
chicken fever. 
I have often heard it said that it was more profitable 
to sell eggs than to raise chickens. I did not think 
so; but to prove the matter, I kept an account the past 
season of every egg set and hatched. The following is 
the result: 
Eggs set.....'..... . 704 
Chickens hatched...... 457 
do. raised... 109 
I consider that I had very “ bad luck ” in raising so 
few. It was not entirely owing to bad management, 
although I now see where I made several mistakes. I 
had so many difficulties to contend with—the hawks, 
crows, hogs, rats, &e—each and all took a large share, 
and yet had the eggs been sold the average price would 
not have been more than 14 cents per doz., which would 
have amounted to $8,21 cts., whereas I have sold 88 
chickens for 30 dollars—used in the family and given 
away 45, and have 36 left. 
No account was kept of the feed because those used 
in the family, would considerably more than have paid 
fGr that, had the “ almighty dollar” been the entire 
object. Chickens pick up a great deal that would oth¬ 
erwise be wasted on a farm, and any one living in the 
country knows what a satisfaction it. is to have plenty 
of chickens and eggs of one’s own raising. I intend 
keeping half the number of hens and a like account the 
present season, hoping it may show a better result. 
A Reader. Maryland, December, 1853. 
‘Composition Roofs. 
In answer to an inquiry of a correspondent, relative 
to this kind of roof, the best information we can give 
is furnished by the Pralirie Farmer. His mode of roof¬ 
ing, it appears, has been extensively used in some of 
the western cities, and after a trial of several years, 
appears to possess every element of durability. These 
roofs are cheaper than tin-plate, and rather dearer 
than good shingles, being $5 to $6 per 100 feet. 
The Prairie Farmer thinks this roofing should be ap¬ 
plied only by- those who make it a business, as there 
are several requisites for the permanent success, not at 
the command of every one. A thick, coarse paper, 
made of wollen rags, expressly for this purpose, is sat¬ 
urated with coal tar, or with turpentine, and is then 
made to cover the boards of the roof, which are laid 
on as for common shingling. Somo operators fasten 
the paper on various parts of the roof, and others only 
at the edges, the latter alledging that the contraction 
and expansion of the boards, in dry and damp weath¬ 
er, injures after a time the texture 'of the paper, if it 
is made fast all over. When the paper is properly se¬ 
cured, a composition made of coal tar, thickened as is 
supposed by rosin or pitch (the operators feigning se¬ 
crecy) is then applied hot with a swab, immediately 
after which, sifted sand is spread over as thickly as the 
composition will hold. This is rolled, and another 
application of the composition made, followed by a 
coating of gravel. Some operators apply but one coat 
of composition, and a coat of gravel only. Steep roofs 
cannot he covered in this way—one foot in four or five 
being barely sufficient to retain the melted composition. 
Lime on Corn. 
I have just concluded an experiment with lime on a 
field of corn, which may be worthy of notice. As the 
corn was coming up, I applied about half a pint of 
slaked lime to each hill, with the exception of four 
rows near the middle of the field, which were left, that 
I might see whether or no liming in the hill was bene¬ 
ficial to the crop. The after treatment was the same 
during the season. 
Harvested separately the four rows unlimed, and 
also adjoining them four that were limed, (soil and 
situation being precisely the same,) and the result was 
an increase of a little over one-eighth in the amount 
of corn in favor of that which was limed. R. F. Bing¬ 
ham. Ellsworth , Mahoning co., Ohio. 
P. S. To prevent crows and black birds pulling up 
corn : Keep a. good supply of it scattered on the ground 
for them to eat, as they won’t work for a living if they 
can get it without. I have tried it with success for 
several years. —*©>— 
“Old Colony Sweet Corn.” —I tried the “Old 
Colony sweet corn ” last summer. The experiment was 
a fair one, and made under the most favorable circum¬ 
stances. It is, in my opinion, far inferior both in quan¬ 
tity aDd quality to the common sugar corn cultivated 
in this vicinity. If it does not succeed better on an¬ 
other trial, I shall consider it a hoax. T. G. Dela¬ 
ware co., Pa. 
