54 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Feb 
I>riUs, he says, are in use, which “ are as perfect, both 
for naechamsm and practical effect, as a chronometer or 
a steam-engine.” So complete is their execution, that 
in sowing a twenty-acre field, when the surface is fa¬ 
vorable, scarcely a variation of an inch from a straight 
line occurs in the whole piece.” 
We have,on former occasions,spoken of the advantages 
of this system of wheat culture ; and have mentioned 
the example of Mr. Noble, of Massillon, Ohio, who 
practices drilling extensively, and with excellent results. 
Some of the finest wheat crops we have ever seen, were 
produced on his farm by this mode. He informs us that 
the longer he continues this practice, the more he is in 
favor of it. He has constructed a drill which operates 
well—doing the work with precision and despatch. 
We believe the system of drilling wheat is worthy of 
general adoption, and we hope to see it speedily intro¬ 
duced into our principal wheat districts. 
As a protection against smut and vermin, the writer 
of the essay recommends arsenic. We have formerly 
used this substance as a preventive of smut, but cannot 
say that it was found any more effective than blue vitri¬ 
ol or sulphate of copper ; either substance will answer 
the purpose well, if properly used. But for protecting 
the seed against insects and vermin, we think it proba¬ 
ble the arsenic would be preferable, though we cannot 
speak on this point from our own experience. The fol¬ 
lowing is the mode of using the arsenic : 
u Take to every bushel of corn [grain] one ounce of 
arsenic, dissolve it in one pint of water, adding half a 
pound of salt. Spread the corn on a level floor, and 
pour the liquor on the wheat, continually stirring it un¬ 
til the whole is wetted, or thoroughly damped. Then 
apply and mix quicklime until it is sufficiently dry to 
sow, and we will guarantee that not an ear of smut 
will be visible. The seed is also secure from crows and 
vermin ,• and the arsenic, so destructive to animal life, 
seems to have no effect of an injurious tendency on the 
seed wheat.” 
The average yield of wheat per acre, on a clover-lev, 
under good management, is put down at 30 bushels, 
and the expense of cultivation is given as follows : 
£ s. D. 
Plowing,... 0 6 0 
Sowing, .. 0 3 0 
Harrowing, .. 0 1 0 
Rolling,... 0 16 
Seed, .. 0 18 0 
Weeding,... 0 4 0 
Straw for harvesting and all 
expenses up to marketing. 
£1 13 6 
This would give the cost per bushel Is. l£d., or 
about 26 cents. The common opinion, we believe, is 
that wheat is produced much cheaper in this country 
than it can be in England. This is at least questiona¬ 
ble ; at any rate we doubt whether many of our farmers 
can show that they have produced it at less expense 
than the above estimate' show's. On the other hand, it 
is not improbable that with their unpro ved modes of cul ¬ 
ture, and the greater average yield, the English farmers 
may have the advantage of the American on the score 
of cheapness; and w T e ought to regard this as an additional 
inducement for the adoption of a better system. 
POUDRETTE ON INDIAN CORN. 
Eds. Cultivator — In the March No. of the Cultiva¬ 
tor, 1846, you gave an experiment, made by Mr. Sher¬ 
man, with poudrette placed on corn in the hill; the re¬ 
sult of whicli was so different from what I had sup¬ 
posed it would have been, judging from some experi¬ 
ments I had made with it upon wheat; and also from 
the unanimous opinion entertained by my neighbors of 
its value, that I determined to try whether the increased 
quantity of corn produced by this manure, would cost 
every one the same sum it did your correspondent. To 
do this, I selected a part of my field, an acre of ground, 
and manured one half" of it in the hill, with five bushels 
of poudrette, manufactured in Philadelphia. The rows 
and hills were each four feet apart. The ground select¬ 
ed was, as near as I could judge, of the same quality; 
if there was any difference, it was in favor of that part 
not manured. The soil was a light micaceous loam, 
but quite thin, as you will see by the yield. It came 
up finely; the corn on the part that was manured, grew 
vigorously, keeping far ahead of the other, throughout 
the season, and ripening at least one week earlier. 
"When harvested, the part that was manured, yielded 
thirty three baskets of ears, making 16 bushels of shelled 
corn, and the other half only 17 baskets, or 8 bushels— 
leaving me 8 bushels of sound corn to pay for the pou¬ 
drette. The Dr. and Cr. account would stand thus:— 
8 bushels corn at 60 cts per bush, is. $4.80 
Extra foddder—(there was at least double 
the quantity on this part that there was on 
the other)... 1.00 
$5.80 
Dr. To 5 bus. poudrette, 35c, is. 1.75 
Spreading the same... 0.10 
Husking, hauling and shelling 8 bus. 3c. 0.24 
2 . 0 & 
Gain by using this manure (per \ acre) $3,71 
A part of the same field, was manured, in the same 
manner with guano, and at the same cost per acre. 
One barrel of guano was mixed with two of unlixivated 
ashes, and the same quantity of clear sand , and spread 
on one and an half acres of ground. This part neither 
grew so well, nor did it yield so well as that along side 
of it, which had been manured with poudrette. Al¬ 
though we took great pains to sift and mix it thoroughly, 
yet many of the hills were killed, and some so stunted 
that they did not recover throughout the season. 
One of my neighbors, seeing what poudrette had done 
for me, for two years in succession, on my wheat crop, 
planted some two or three acres, of as poor land as you 
could find any where, (in fact the soil had been entirely 
washed away) with what we call Canada corn, and ma¬ 
nured it in the hill with this manure; a part he left un- 
rnarmred. On the first part he had a fair crop ; but, 
upon the other, there was not enough, I had almost said, 
to pay him for bis seed, certainly not for his labor. 
What these manures may do, when used upon soils 
of a more productive quality, I do not know, but I am 
well assured, that when used upon thin soils, this is a. 
most valuable manure; and those of us in this neighbor¬ 
hood .who have used it, in this manner, firmly believe that 
we receive the price of our labor and expenses, in the 
increased value of our provender alone. The coming 
season I shall plant my corn on soils of various degrees 
of fertility, and shall then test the matter more fully. 
Lower Dublin, Pa.. Dec. 19,. 1846. Pennepack. 
