THE CULTIVATOR. 
23 
Experiments, Farm Crops, Samples of Grains and 
Seeds, Fat Stock, Dressed Meats and Dressed Poultry, 
Butter, Cheese, &e. We annex a list of the premiums 
on such articles as are to be exhibited : — 
GRAINS AND SEEDS. 
[Five Bushels of each to be Exhibited.] 
Winter Wheat —1st prize, $8 ; 2d, $5 ; 3d, $3. 
Spring Wheat —The same as above. 
For Rye , 4-rowed and 2-rowed Barley, Oats, Yel¬ 
low and White Corn , Peas , Beans, Large and Small 
Clover Seed, Timothy Seed and Flax Seed —three 
premiums of $5, $3 and $2 on each. 
FAT STOCK. 
Best fat ox, 4 years old and upwards,. 5530 
2d do . 25 
3d do . 20 
. Best fat steer, 3 years old,.. 25 
2d do .. 20 
3d do . 15 
Best fat cow, 4 years and upwards,. 20 
2d do . 15 
3d do . 10 
Best fat heifer, 3 years old,. 15 
2d do .. 10 
3d do . 5 
Best spayed heifer,. 3 years old,... 15 
2d do .*. 10 
3d do . 5 
Three best long-wooled sheep, 2 years and upwards,... 10 
2d do .. 6 
3d do . 5 
Three best long-wooled sheep under 2 years,.. 8 
2d do . 5 
3d do . 3 
Three best middle-wooled, 2 years old and upwards,- 10 
2d do . 8 
3d do . 5 
Three best middle-wooled sheep under 2 years,. 8 
2d do . 5 
3d do . 3 
Three best cross breed sheep, 2 years and upwards,.... 10 
2d do . 8 
3d do . 5 
Three best cross-breed sheep, under 2 years,. 8 
2d do . 5 
3d do . 3 
Persons competing for premiums on Live Stock must 
give a full and detailed statement of the time and 
manner of feeding the animal; the materials of food 
consumed, in quality, quantity and value ; tlie breed 
of the animal, if known'; the weight, if practicable, 
when the feeding was commenced, and the weight at 
the time of the exhibition, must be given, and all to 
be verified by affidavit; and unless these statements 
are furnished, premiums will not be awarded. 
DRESSED MEETS AND POULTRY;. 
Best carcass Of long-wooled sheep,* ... $5 
2d best do,........ 3 
Best carcass of middle-wooled sheep,. 5 
2d best do,...... 3 
Best carcass of cross-breed,.. 5 
2d best do,.. 3 
Best dressed hog, weighing over 350 lbs.,... 5 
2d best do,. 3 
Best dressed hog, less than 350 lbs.,.. 5 
2d best do,. 3 
Best pair of dressed tqrkeys,*... 2 
2d best do,. 1 
Best pair of dressed geese,. 2 
2d best do, . ... 1 
Best pair of dressed ducks,.. 2 
2d best do, ...... 1 
Best pair of dressed capons, .. 2 
2d best do,...... 1 
Best pair of dressed fowls,..... 2 
2d best do,. 1 
* The mutton and poultry, when dressed, to have head 
and feet left on. 
. - • . 
Culture of the Onion. 
Danvers, Mass., Dec. 5, 1853. 
Messrs. Editors— In reply to the inquiries made 
by C. N. B., of Orient, L. I., in your paper of Dec. 1st, 
I heg leave to say, that I have given much attention 
to the growing of onions for a. dozen years past, and 
can say with confidence, that-there does not exist the 
same necessity for a rotation of crops An the growing 
of onions, as there does in most other crops. I am 
aware, that I express an opinion directly at variance 
with that expressed by your, correspondent; neverthe¬ 
less, the large quantity grown in this vicinity (not less 
than 100,000 barrels annually), and my frequent in¬ 
tercourse with those who have managed their cultiva¬ 
tion, makes me quite as confident in this matter as any 
other of vegetable culture. I do know fields on which 
onions have been grown for twenty years or more suc¬ 
cessively, without any apparent diminution of crop, by 
reason of the continued culture. So general is the im¬ 
pression that onions vary from other crops in this par¬ 
ticular, that it has become almost a proverb, that 
“ onions will do well without a change of crops.” 
That benefit will accrue from varying the manures 
applied, there can be no doubt; and that liberal dress¬ 
ings of manure (say, from five to eight cords to an acre 
each year,) is also perfectly clear. Perhaps such ap¬ 
plication of manure remedies the objection naturally 
arising from the exhausting of the ingredients necessary 
for supporting the crop. 
Your correspondent asks—“What is muscle bed?” 
I understand it to be mud at the bottom of salt water 
rivers and creeks, filled with the muscle or the shells 
of muscles. Thousands of loads of this material are 
annually collected in this vicinity, and applied to the 
lands. It is considered a valuable dressing for onion 
lands, once in half a dozen years; and some apply it 
oftener. It is certainly a valuable dressing in apple 
orchards, as I have myself witnessed. 
Your correspondent speaks of his onions rotting. No 
such affection troubles our crop, excepting a rot occa¬ 
sioned by the imbedding of a small maggo; in the bulb 
of the young plant. 
The red, the white and the silver skin onions are 
the varieties usually grown by the cultivators in this 
neighborhood. There are other varieties of onions, but 
I am not familiar with their culture. 
Your correspondent asks for information as to soil¬ 
ing of cattle. He will find it in a paper prepared by 
Hon. Josiah Quincy,* of Quincy, who has practiced 
it for thirty years or more, and who understands the 
subject, root and branch. This communication was 
published in 1852* among the papers of the Norfolk 
County Ag. Society, and afterwards in the Mass. Ag. 
Transactions for 1852. Mr. Quincy’s views are entitled 
to the highest regard. 
Having been much instructed by your valuable pa¬ 
per the last year, I cheerfully forward these remarks 
for its columns. Very resp’y, your ob’t serv’t. J. W. 
Proctor. 
* We shall soon insert this valuable paper.—E ds. 
