THE CULTIVATOR 
Stone and Brush for Drains—Muck for Manure. 
Will you be kind enough to inform me through The 
Cultivator , which is the best for filling a drain, brush 
or round stones? Also, what kind of land it is the most 
profitable to put lime on, and how much to the acre ? 
We have a large swamp near us that is covered 
with water. Would not the muck be advantageous as 
a manure ? whether best applied alone ? and to what 
kind of land ? An Attentive Reader. 
Stone will of course last much longer than brush, 
but if the soil is quite soft, or of the nature of quick¬ 
sand, it will be nearly impossible to prevent its run¬ 
ning in among the stones and choking the drain. If 
the draining is so effectual as to keep it quite dry 
at all times of the year, this difficulty will be lessened. 
Brush, (especially if of the most durable kinds of 
wood,) is best for soft soils, where the quantity of wa¬ 
ter to be drawn off is never large. Even after it de¬ 
cays, it leaves small channels through the soil for the 
water to soak away. On account of its exclusion from 
the air in a great measure, brush will last much long¬ 
er than if exposed. It is said there are instances 
where it has continued to answer a good purpose for 
fifty years. 
There are many theories as to the kind of land 
most benefited by lime ; the best way is to try it on a 
small scale and observe the results. From fifty to 300 
bushels are applied per acre. Magnesian lime, being 
very caustic, must be applied the most sparingly. 
Muck is not unfrequently a good manure applied 
alone, but the best way is to drain the swamp, shovel 
out the muck, and let it become well dried under a 
shed, and then mix it with yard manure, when it 
forms a capital compost. 
Destroying Canada Thistles. 
“ Is there any mode of eradicating Canada thistles 
from land, short of digging them out, roots and all? 
Is there a chemical agent that will destroy them ? A 
man is traveling about here, selling a white powder, 
which dries them up when applied to the cut surface 
when mowed—he claims it will kill them 'permanent¬ 
ly —please tell me what it is, and if there is any vir¬ 
tue in it?” S. H W. Easton , Fa. 
Canada thistles are easily killed on heavy soils, by 
plowing them unde® completely, once a month for the 
season, which smothers them, and the roots die. Un¬ 
less the leaves, which are the lungs of a plant, can de¬ 
velop themselves above the surface, the plants cannot 
breathe, and will die in one season. The success of 
the operation depends of course, on keeping down eve¬ 
ry thistle plant below the surface. On light or gravel¬ 
ly soils, they cannot be so completely smothered, and 
in addition to the plowing, Boughton’s “subsoil culti¬ 
vator” or thistle-digger, described some months ago 
in this journal, and which is in fact a two-horse paring- 
plow, will prove an efficient auxiliary. Mineral poi¬ 
sons usually prove destructive to vegetables; but it 
would puzzle a very shrewd man to know a “white 
powder” some hundreds of miles distant, without ever 
seeing it. If it kills all the thistles above ground for 
one entire season, they must of course be “ permanent¬ 
ly ” killed, for the reasons already stated; but such an 
agent could be of little value in any way, because the 
labor of applying to every individual in a thistle- 
patch of only one acre, containing probably a million 
stalks, would be no trifling task, compared to plowing 
in four or five times. » 
Awarding Premiums on Domestic Animals. 
Messrs. Editors —I have noticed a communication 
of Mr. Spencer of Windsor, Vt., in the May No. of 
the Cultivator, on the subject of the most profitable 
breed of sheep to grow wool from. The thought oc¬ 
curred to me at once, that of all other men, Mr. Spen¬ 
cer, if not best qualified , was at least well prepared to 
answer his own questions, being as he says the owner 
of Silesian, French, Gaudaloupe and Spanish Meri- 
noes. I have viewed with some surprise, for years 
past, the manner in which our Agricultural Societies 
have awarded premiums on sheep ; they being given 
in most cases to pet animals. Now if you please, I 
will suggest an idea to all Agricultural Societies as to 
the mode in which Mr. Spencer’s question should be 
answered. 
Let a committee of one or three be appointed ; put 
into the committee’s possession a certain number of the 
different breeds of sheep in the country—let the ex¬ 
pense of keeping each breed be accurately recorded 
for one year—then the profits—strike the balance, and 
the question is answered. When we talk of the profits 
of sheep, wool and mutton should both be considered. 
This mode of testing the point, must necessarily be 
attended with some expense. I can think of no better, 
for testing the value of all our animals. If any gen¬ 
tleman can propose a better method, please be kind 
enough to divulge it. J. N. Smith. Vergennes } Vt • 
Nursery Trees. 
I have lately contracted for various kinds of fruits 
from a nursery in Ohio, the agent being around mak¬ 
ing engagements to be delivered in the winter. Does a 
person usually get the kinds contracted for ? Is it po¬ 
licy to buy fruit trees grown in Ohio and transplant in 
west Tennessee ? Will it do to remove strawberries in 
December? An answer to the above in the Cultiva¬ 
tor, will much oblige Alvan Henry. Purdy , Ten¬ 
nessee , May , 1854. 
Two requisites in a nurseryman will insure the cor¬ 
rectness of his trees, namely, honesty, and a thorough 
acquaintance with fruits and his business. If in addi¬ 
tion to these, the agent is also a strictly honest, care¬ 
ful, and intelligent man, our correspondent will get the 
sorts he bargains for. We cannot, of course, decide on 
the probability, not knowing any of the parties ; Trees 
grown in Ohio will transplant well into Tennessee, pro¬ 
vided, as in all other cases, they are properly treated. 
We would never recommend the removal of strawber¬ 
ries at the commencement of winter, as they will be 
almost certain to be destroyed by frost, unless great 
care is taken to protect them, without smothering. 
Early spring is best; immediately after fruiting, is 
next best, and antumn worst, the later the more un¬ 
successful—although exceptions, from peculiar 
sual causes, will occasionally occur. 
