r o 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
April, 
house, and in the morning the surface will be covered 
with dead millers.’' 
Samples of Wool. —We have received several sam¬ 
ples of Merino wool from John W. Paddock:, Esq., of 
Wyoming, N. Y. Some of them are very handsome. 
He states that his flock, consisting of upwards of 200, 
will average four pounds of “ clean” wool per head, and 
that his ” stock buck” sheared last year eight pounds of 
washed” wool. 
Manufacture of Flour. —Mr. John Boldin, of 
Philadelphia, wishes for “ extensive information about 
the system of flour-making in Rochester.” We would 
suggest that he address some of the manufacturers in 
that city, stating the particular kind of information 
wanted. 
Disease of the button-wood tree. —S. Ruckman, 
Esq., of Bath county, Va., informs us that the button- 
wood or sycamore is affected by some malady or insect 
which causes its decay. He is inclined to think it is a 
v small bug,” many of which he says he has seen on 
one small limb. Our readers will recollect that men¬ 
tion has frequently been made in our columns of the 
disease of this tree, and we believe it has been before 
suggested that it was caused by an insect. We should 
be glad to know, however, whether any one is able to 
describe the insect which is supposed to be the cause of 
the trouble. 
Difference in the quality of milk. —Farmers in 
general are not aware of the great difference there is 
in the richness of milk. In butter dairies, especially, 
this is a point which deserves attention. The mere fact 
that a cow gives a large quantity of milk is scarcely any 
evidence of her value for the production of butter. It 
is but a short time since we heard a farmer state that 
he had a cow which would give from 20 to 22 quarts of 
milk per day, and he had till last season always con¬ 
sidered her a first-rate cow; but it then happened that 
her milk was set separately for butter, when it was 
proved that only about four ounces per day could be ob¬ 
tained. This may be called an extreme case; but let 
the milk of various cows be fairly tried, and a surprising 
difference will often be seen. Mr. Newell, in his ad¬ 
dress before the Essex County (Mass.) Ag. Society, 
observes that according to his observation , there is much 
less uniformity in the milk of what we call “ native ” 
cows, than in that of the Ayrshires and Alderneys. He 
says —“ A few years ago I made a little experiment to 
test the quality of the milk of sixteen cows.—A gallon 
of each cow’s milk was set by itself, and after standing 
twenty-four hours, the cream from each was churned by 
itself, and the quantity of butter ranged from three 
to eight ounces.” Thus is it seen that while the milk 
of some cows afforded a pound of butter to every eight 
quarts, it required more than twenty-one quarts of the 
milk of some others to make that quantity. Will not 
this fact be remembered ? 
Chiccory. —This plant was formerly cultivated 
chiefly for its value as food for cattle and sheep—the 
leaves being cut for this purpose several times a year. 
It is now much cultivated in England for the purpose 
of mixing the dried roots with coffee. Mr. Colman, 
speaking of its cultivation for this purpose, says— 
“ Chiccory is to be sown in April, like carrots in drills, 
kept clear of weeds, and the plants thinned out to the 
distance of six inches in the rows. In September the 
leaves are taken off and the plants dug with a fork; 
they are then washed and split by hand, and kiln-dried, 
and sold to other factors, who cause them to be burnt 
and ground like coffee, which, in that case, they en¬ 
tirely resemble. They greatly deepen the color of the 
liquid when prepared as coffee; and when mixed in the 
proportion of a fifth, they communicate no unpleasant 
taste.” 
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES. 
Connecticut Tobacco. —W. C. N., (Maysville, 
Ky.) For the mode of cultivating-tobacco in Connecti¬ 
cut we refer you to an article in vol. 1, new series of 
the Cultivator, page 87. We should like to have some 
one explain the difference between the Kentucky and 
Connecticut tobacco-—showing the reason why the latter 
should be worth, (as it generally is in New York,) more 
than double the price of the former. 
Subsoil Plows —J. W. L., (Monroe, Pa.) The 
prices of subsoil plows are as follows: For the size suited 
to one horse, $5; for two horses, $7; for six oxen, $12. 
A charge of $1.50 more is made for the addition of a 
wheel and draft-rod. 
Worn-out lands in Maryland.—W. T., (Frede¬ 
rick county, Md.) We should think one of the best 
modes of improving the worn-out soils of your region, 
would be that practiced by George Patterson, Esq., 
described in vol. 2, new series of the Cultivator, pages 
204, 205. 
Alpacas—Cotswold Sheep. &c. —A.C. R., (Kirt- 
land, O.) There have been no alpacas imported into 
the country, or not more than one or two, which have 
been kept in menageries. It is not probable that they 
would cross with the Merino, or any other of our do¬ 
mestic breeds of sheep, as they belong to a different 
genus—being more nearly allied to the camel than the 
sheep. If, by chance, a hybrid should be produced be¬ 
tween the alpaca and common sheep, it is probable it 
would be barren. Cotswold (or improved Cotswold) 
sheep differ from Leicesters in being somewhat stouter 
framed, having generally rather hardier constitutions, 
and producing heavier fleeces. Their wool is from seven 
to ten inches in length, and fleeces average from six to 
eight pounds— clean wool. When fatted they weigh 
from 25 to 35 pounds per quarter. Their value here is 
from ten to twenty dollars per head. 
Buckthorn Hedge.— <{ A Subscriber,” (Hanover, 
N. H.) Mr. Downing, in an excellent article on the 
cultivation of hedges in the February number of the Hor¬ 
ticulturist, advises that the plants should be cut down to 
within six inches of the ground ; that the following spring 
they be cut so as to leave one foot of the “ current sea¬ 
son’s growth;” that they be “ shortened back” the third 
year so as to leave one foot of the year’s growth; and 
he adds— u this course must be pursued every spring till 
the hedge is of the desired height and form, wdiich will 
take place in five or six years.” 
Tiles for Draining. —J. W. P., (Wyoming, N. Y.) 
Tile which are properly made, will no doubt answer the 
purpose of draining w r ell, and we presume would not 
“ dissolve.” They have been used extensively in Eng¬ 
land and Scotland for a long time. 
Sheep Husbandry. —J. F. J., (Park Hill,Va.) The 
number of -sheep which can be pastured on an acre, de¬ 
pends, of course, on the quality of the soil and the favor¬ 
ableness of the season We have known seven kept on 
one acre for several months, but the best of grass land 
is required for this, if the sheep are expected to thrive 
—in some instances the same extent of land would not 
support three. One hundred Merino sheep are as many 
as are usually kept together in winter; but more may 
be kept in a flock in summer , only giving range'and food 
in proportion to numbers. It is preferred (for large 
flocks) to have lambs dropped at the time when the grass 
has started so as to afford the ewes a “ bite.” Th® 
period of gestation with this animal is five months, so 
that it is easy to see when the ram should be put with 
the ewes, to have the lambs come at the season when 
the grass may be expected to be at the right stage. 
The average weight of common Merino fleeces, w r ashed 
in the ordinary way, is three pounds, and the wool is 
worth now about thirty to thirty-five cents per pound. 
