242 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
August 
will be used, when the next census is being taken, to 
ascertain the number of sheep annually lost in this 
state by dogs, and their value. It will, I have no 
doubt, astonish the natives. Augusta. 
Proper Construction of Lightning Rods. - 
As the season is fast approaching in which large 
quantities of hay and grain are to be stored, I wish to 
call the attention of your numerous readers to the im¬ 
portance of protecting their barns by lightning rods. 
It is well known that the warm vapor arising from 
newly filled barns, has a strong affinity for electricity, 
and on the near approach of a thunder cloud, places 
such buildings in imminent danger; but a prejudice has 
arisen against the use of conductors, from the improper 
manner in which they have generally been construc¬ 
ted. When not rightly made and put up, they are of 
no value. In many cases they may be even worse 
than useless. For instance, if the points at the upper 
extremity are covered with rust, they will not answer 
the purpose intended, because a metallic oxide repels 
instead of attracting electricity. If the lower end ter¬ 
minates before reaching the ground, or penetrates it 
but a short distance, the fluid is liable to escape from 
the rod into the side of the building, which being close 
at hand, offers a better conductor than the air, or the 
dry surface of the ground. 
For the information of such as may not have given 
attention to this matter, I will give the method of 
making and attaching conductors, which has been test¬ 
ed by experiments, and approved by men of science. 
They should be made of horse shoe rods, five-eighths 
inch square, which are sufficiently large, and being 
slit cold, have a rough jagged surface, affording nu¬ 
merous radiating points. The several pieces of which 
the rod is composed, may be welded smoothly together, 
so as not to increase the size, or joined by a hook and 
eye. In the last method, the hook should have a point 
left on the end, and be driven into the eye after being 
bent at little more than a right angle. 
In applying the conductor to barns, begin at the 
northwest corner, by inserting the rod far enough into 
the ground to always insure its contact with moist 
earth; carry it along the gable end to one end of the 
ridge pole, thence along the ridge pole to the other 
end of it, thence along the other gable end, and down 
the southeast corner, continuing it into the ground, as 
in the beginning, far enough to reach the moist earth. 
There should be a point at the eaves on each corner, 
and one on each end of the ridge pole, which should be 
covered with a coating of silver to prevent them from 
rusting. The rod should be secured in its place 
by wooden fastenings. If these directions are carefully 
observed, there can be but little doubt that buildings 
thus provided would be effectually secured against de¬ 
struction by lightning, with little trouble and at a 
small expense. W. Meriden , N. H., June , 1847. 
Canada Thistles. —Some persons suppose that 
this plant is only propagated by root, not from seed. 
The idea is unquestionably erroneous, and leads to a 
carelessness which permits the increase of the pest. It 
is true that it spreads rapidly by roots; but where it 
is seen to spring up, as it frequently does, at a con¬ 
siderable distance from where it had previously grown, 
it. may be known to have sprung from seed. It should 
therefore be made a rule to prevent its seeding in all 
cases. We believe a law requiring the periodical cut¬ 
ting of Canada thistles on the public highways in this 
state, has for some time existed, and during the last 
session of the Legislature, an act was passed to u pro¬ 
vide for the destruction of Canada thistles, and other 
noxious weeds on the banks of the canals, railroads, and 
turnpike roads.” This act makes it the duty of the su¬ 
perintendents of canals, and the several railroad and 
. turnpike corporations, to cause all the thistles and nox¬ 
ious plants growing on the sides of the canals, to the 
width owned by the state, and all those growing on lands 
belonging to the corporations, to be cut twice in each 
year—once between the fifteenth day of June and the 
first day of July, and once between the fifteenth day of 
August, and the first day of September. In case of the 
neglect of the officers to have this work performed as 
specified, it is provided that any person may cut the 
thistles, &c., within the time mentioned, and they 
shall be entitled to receive for the labor so performed, 
at the rate of one dollar per day, of the superintendents 
of the canals, or the several railroad companies. 
In pastures and all grass grounds, thistles should be 
mowed close to the ground twice a year, just as they 
are in blossom, before any of them have seeded. The 
labor of cutting will in many cases be repaid by the 
extra quantity of feed which may be thus obtained. 
Thistles frequently occupy the best ground, and where 
they stand thickly, they prevent animals from eating 
the grass, which grows among them. By cutting 
them closely., the grass springs fresh and sweet, and 
the patches are grazed so much that the growth of the 
thistles is often much checked. On moist land, which 
is inclined to make a thick sward, thi&tles may be ef¬ 
fectually smothered down and killed by following up 
the practice of cutting for a few years. We have for¬ 
merly proved this in our own experience in repeated 
instances. 
In cultivated land, the Canada thistle may be de¬ 
stroyed by frequent plowing. Four thorough plow- 
ings, with an interval of three weeks, between each 
plowing, will destroy the principal portion of them. In 
a late excursion to the westerly part of the state, we 
were informed by several farmers that they had pur¬ 
sued this course with advantage. Among others we 
may name David Thomas, Aurora, G. V. Sackett, 
Seneca Falls, John Johnsto'n, near Geneva, and D 
M. Ellis, Onondaga Hill. Mr. Ellis showed us a 
field which a few years ago was completely overrun 
with Canada thistles. He plowed it in June, after 
the thistles had got considerably started, and as soon 
as the sod was pretty well rotted and the thistles had 
shot through the furrows for a second growth, he 
plowed it a second time, and so a third time, frequent¬ 
ly harrowing in the interim between the plowings. 
This field was sowed to wheat, and scaicely a thistle 
appeared in the crop. It is now in pasture, and but 
very few thistles have yet shown themselves. 
Measuring Hay. —On page 214 of the Cultivator 
for July, I find a communication signed H. A. P., giv¬ 
ing a rule for measuring hay in the.mow or stack, and 
stating that the writer had verified its general accura¬ 
cy, and had both bought and sold by it. He says—- 
u if the hay be somewhat settled, ten solid yards will 
make a ton. Clover will take from eleven to twelve 
yards for a ton.” I think there must be a mistake 
somewhere. The box of an ordinary wagon contains 
one solid yard, and ten of such boxes piled one on the 
other, would be more than ten solid yards, but would 
make but a small quantity of hay for a ton. It was 
this view of the subject w'hicli first struck me on read¬ 
ing the article, and if I be correct, your correspondent 
H. A. P. must be wrong, and as this is one of those, 
rules that do not wmrk both ways, being a very good 
one for the seller, but bad for the buyer of hay, it will 
be well if there be a mistake, to correct it. A Sub¬ 
scriber. 
[Perhaps we should have added a brief note to H- 
A. P.’s article in the July number. His rule for mea¬ 
suring hay is one which we have never tried, and can¬ 
not say w r hether it is correct or not. The rule wdiich 
we have formerly followed, in some instances, was 400 
