284 
THE CULTIVATOR 
Sept 
animals’ heads towards the feeding room in the cen¬ 
tre, saves a vast amount of labor by a covered cart 
way running round the whole, by means of which the 
stable cleanings are shovelled immediately into the 
passing cart, and drawn at once to the field without a 
single transfer or reloading j and it would prove of 
great advantage in all cases could the same provision 
be made for carting off the accumulations of stables 
without the labor of wheeling them first out into the 
yard, except in those instances already named where 
the fields are closely contiguous, and the materials 
for compost are as easily accessible here as at other 
parts of the farm. 
We are by no means confident that we have pointed 
out the best mode for accomplishing the great saving 
needed in this laborious farm-process, but if we have 
afforded suggestions for further improvements, an im¬ 
portant end will be attained. 
Agriculture of the Sandwich Islands. 
We give the following extract of a letter from a 
subscriber, dated East Maui, May 25, 1854 : 
The growing of wheat has been entered into with 
consideraale spirit this year, in this immediate vicini¬ 
ty, and the crop bids fair to be a fine one. Harvesting 
has already commenced, and what is peculiar to this 
country , I think, will continue for nearly three months, 
the climate admiting of sowing wheat from the first of 
December to the last of March. The crop will amount 
this year to about 25,000 bushels ; and from the fact 
that there is a flour mill at Honolulu ready for opera¬ 
tion ; the present and prospective high price of flour, 
and the success of this year’s crops, the next season’s 
sowing will be quadruple that of this. 
The soil and climate seem admirably adapted to 
the growing of wheat. There is now good wheat grow¬ 
ing on land, where five or six crops have been raised in 
succession without any dressing. A fine growth on land 
that produced last year from 25 to 30 bushels per acre, 
and this land had been cropped with sugar cane for 
ten years. On new land I have seen this year wheat 
6| feet high, and whole fields averaging more than 
five feet. 
The elevation at which wheat is grown is from 1500 
to 3000 feet above the level of the sea. The soil is 
decomposed lava in some parts, and in others the lava 
is mingled with volcanic cinders and ashes, also some 
vegetable matter. The temperature varies from 50° 
to 84° Farh. 
It is believed that after the present harvest the Is¬ 
lands will not import much bread-stuff. 
The labor saving machines of the U. States are be¬ 
ing introduced here. One of Hussey’s Reapers is here 
for the present harvest, and another on the way. A 
one-horse-power overshot Thresher of Emery’s manu¬ 
facture, a two-horse-power Thresher of Whitman’s, 
make are here, and another of Whitman’s on the way. 
The Cultivator” gives much satisfaction to those 
who take it. The information it gives in relation to 
agricultural implements is important to those of us, 
who, though we live in these ends of the earth, are 
interested in agriculture, and consequently anxious to 
hear of the most improved implements of husbandry, 
and the best manner of cultivating the soil. 
Can you inform me through the Cultivator whether 
any grain sower, for sowing broadcast is in use to any 
extent in the U. States, and if so whose patent, and 
where such an implement can be had ? John S. Gow¬ 
er. 
C. H. Seymour, East-Bloomfield, N. Y., manufac¬ 
tures a broadcast sowing machine, which has been 
pretty extensively used, and has, so far as we know, 
given satisfaction. It can be used for all kinds of 
seeds—also for lime, plaster, poudrette, guano, &c.— 
EES. —- 
Book Farming—Indian Com. 
Messrs Editors —I notieed a communication in 
No. 2, Vol. 4, Country Gentleman , from B. B., on 
“Book Farming—Indian Corn,” in which he com¬ 
plains, and seems to cast censure on the editor of the 
Cultivator, and some one else who had writfen on the 
subject of tilling and curing Indian corn, for recom¬ 
mending a course, which in his case resulted in a hea¬ 
vy loss. The writer says—“had I been governed by 
my own common sense view of the matter, I would 
have rejected the author’s reasoning, and let my corn 
alone. Common sense says that grain will not perfect 
itself if cut before fully ripe.” Now I would not set 
myself up against one so well versed in such matters, 
and especially after having been taught the lesson of 
which he speaks, but would say I dissent from some of 
the conclusions to which the writer of said article has 
arrived. First, that grain will not perfect itself, if 
cut before fully ripe—I say grain, because I wish to 
speak of other grain as well as Indian corn. My ex¬ 
perience has taught me that barley will weigh more 
if cut before fully fipe, than if left to stand till dead 
ripe. I once commenced cutting a piece of barley 
while some of the kernels were quite soft, and was 
obliged to leave a part for two or three days, and 
when harvested it did not weigh as much by three lbs. 
to the bushel, and besides the color was so changed 
as to hurt it for malting. It used to be the custom to 
always cut our barley before fully ripe if we wished 
good weight and color. 
I know that in respect to cutting up corn, there is 
some difference of opinion; but the experience of more 
than twenty years has confirmed me in the opinion 
that, taking all things into consideration, it is best to 
cut corn before thoroughly ripe. Once I had a piece 
of corn in just the state which he says his was,—stalks 
perfectly green, and the corn fairly glazed, and the 
day was such as to predicta severe frost at night; 
and thinking I might as well lose some of the corn as 
all the fodder, I went with what help I could get, and 
cut the piece that day, and the result was that I never 
had sounder or brighter corn in my life. As the sea¬ 
son will soon be along for cutting and curing corn. I 
will give my method of procedure, which may serve 
