1854. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
225 M 
! Answers to Inquiries. 
Manure Cellars.— (W. F. Brand, Emmerton,Md.) 
We have never been strongly in favor of cellars as de¬ 
positories of manure. Unless on sidling ground, so as 
to admit of opening level on one side, there would be 
great difficulty in shoveling out from them two or 
three hundred tons annually. Even if on a level, the 
manure wagon would have to be “ backed ” in, both 
in loading and in depositing any turf, peat, or other 
substance used for intermixture. Besides these objec¬ 
tions, cellar room is too valuable for other purposes, 
while a contiguous yard will answer equally well for 
manure, and prove much more convenient,, for loading 
and unloading, and for the approach and egress of 
teams. We should much prefer making large piles of 
compost in the yard, by depositing successive layers 
of turf from fence corners, &c., with the manure; and 
if necessary all this may be done under a broad and 
high open shed, to protect from the washing of rains, 
although even this is not necessary if the turf, peat, 
loam, &c., are largely used in the stratification and 
covering of the heap. - 
Reapers and Mowers.— {II. Baldwin , Hudson; 
E. J. Horan , Quebec ; and others.) A very uneven 
surface cannot be mowed with a mowing-machine—nor 
stumpy ground, unless the machine can pass round the 
stumps. Ketchum’s mower is never used as a reaper. 
Our correspondents will find such answers as we can 
give, to the rest of their inquiries, in the 64th No. of 
the Country Gentleman, and in the Cultivator for 
May, p. 162. - 
Clover. ; —As you seem ever ready to answer inqui¬ 
ries, I wish to inqure the best method of treating clo¬ 
ver, to insure a vigorous growth of the plant. Some 
contend that clover which has been sowed in the spring, 
should be pastured off as soon as the grain is harvest 
ed in summer, and that clover intended for pasture, 
should not be suffered to become large in the spring, 
before turning in, as frequent cropping insures a more 
vigorous growth of the root. Others maintain that 
clover sowed in the spring, should not be pastured in 
the fall, or at least not till the approach of winter when 
the plant has ceased growing, and that it is better not 
to pasture clover in the spring until it is nearly or 
quite in blossom—that by keeping a short top the 
growth of the root is retarded. Which is right? H. 
J. P. New Foltz Landing, April 15. 
The growth of all plants is retarded by removing 
the leaves, when the root remains entire. The growth 
of the root and stem always vitally depends on a large 
and healthy foliage. Hence, the roots of clover will 
not grow so large when cropped close. Actual and ac¬ 
curate experiment has confirmed this theory—roots 
with fully grown tops when carefully dug up being 
found decidedly larger than those kept cut down. 
11 Terra-Culture.” —(S. W. Cowles, Unionville.) 
—This is a term applied without any peculiar appro¬ 
priateness, to a particular theory of cultivation, hav¬ 
ing no claims to originality, but held as a secret, by 
a man by the name of Comstock. We have been in- 
m formed that the theory consists chiefly in “ following 
& nature,” by sowing seed without covering, planting 
trees shallow, discarding pruning and grafting, &c. 
Trees scatter their seeds in forests, in the shade, to be 
covered with falling leaves; but in open ground a 
covering of soil must be substituted for the shade and 
newly forming mould. Hence this theory will not ap¬ 
ply to field culture, any further than it has been known 
from time immemorial by good cultivators, that, bury¬ 
ing seeds too deeply will prevent their germination. 
Every skilful fruit-raiser knows that trees should not 
be set too deeply in the soil, but that the depth must 
vary with circumstances, size of tree, lightness or 
moisture of the soil, &c. In short, the theory is a 
blundering mixture of truth and error, without dis¬ 
crimination between the two, with a claim to originali¬ 
ty without any foundation. 
Parsneps and Butter. —A correspondent writes 
in a late letter for information on the subject of the 
bad effects of parsneps on butter making, and furnish¬ 
es the following facts :—“ Our nearest neighbors churn¬ 
ed the other day, I believe nearly all day, but the 
cream produced no butter ; and on the next day a fur¬ 
ther trial was made with no better success. They then 
went into the pasture and found parsneps—seed having 
scattered from the garden—and their cows having eat¬ 
en th8in, they ascribe their failure in the dairy. They 
assure me that in Clinton county whence they came, 
this plant was known to produce similar effects. Our 
cows feed in a lot adjoining, where there are no pars¬ 
neps, and we have had to churn scarcely five minutes 
for butter. Have any of the readers of the Country 
Gentleman observed any thing corroborating this state¬ 
ment ?” -- 
Destructive Insect. —Our correspondent J. Bing¬ 
ham, of Hudson, N. Y., mentions an insect found very 
abundantly on elm trees at that place ; and proving 
destructive to the foliage, and inquires for a remedy. 
The proposed insertion of any poisonous substance by 
boring into the tree, if producing any effect, would pro¬ 
bably injure or kill the tree, judging from other experi¬ 
ments. Mineral substances which prove poisonous to 
animals, are generally destructive to plants. Vege¬ 
table poison affects the former, but not the latter. We 
cannot suggest a remedy in this case, as we know no¬ 
thing of the character of the insect, nor even whether 
it is a larva or perfect insect. The pear insect we have 
no knowledge of. -—— 
Cisterns for Farm Animals. —“ Will rain water 
from a cistern-kept under ground, answer for general 
purposes for feeding and watering horses, hogs and 
cattle? S. W. C.” 
Good cleanly kept cisterns of this character, will 
afford good water for such purposes, and which we have 
long been in the practice of using without any detri¬ 
ment. . .—— 
Gapes in Chickens.— “ A subscriber,” will find 
his inquiry on this subject, fully answered in the 73d 
No. of the Co. Gent, and in the Cultivator for July. 
A Subscriber, New York .—You will find an an¬ 
swer to your inquiry about your ice-house in the June 
Cultivator. It came too late for the May no. If you 
had furnished your address, we should have written to 
you promptly. 
