THE CULTIVATO R. Jan, 
call book-farming. And what is this book farming in 
relation to which such unfounded and untenable preju¬ 
dices prevail? Farmers communicate to each other 
the results of their experience in raising horses, cattle, 
sheep and swine, the best and most economical modes 
of manuring their lands, the most profitable crops, and 
the best manner of raising them, the best breed of ani* 
mals, and the best modes by which they may be fat¬ 
tened—in short, everything relating to the occupation 
of the farmer. The results are committed to paper, go 
through the press and become a book, and those who 
choose to be aided by ^he experience of others;, as there 
detailed, are guilty of book-farming.” 
Construction of Fences. 
By many, fences are always considered as unsightly 
objects for enclosing grounds, and all will admit that 
they may detract very much from the appearance of 
premises they enclose. In very few cases can they be 
considered as really ornamental. Most, persons seem 
to have an idea that to have a fence look well, it is only 1 
necessary that it should be expensive ;' and if it is ex¬ 
pensive and costly, arid somewhat different from others 
in its construction, it must, as a matter of course, look 
well. This view of the case appears to me to be en¬ 
tirely wrong. There is no reason why a fence, built 
with much labor and expense, should of necessity ap¬ 
pear well; on the contrary, the more labor and ex¬ 
pense, unless the desigri conforms to, and is in keeping 
with the buildings and grounds enclosed, the more will 
it appear out of place. As in building houses, much 
money may be expended in trying to render it orna¬ 
mental, without producing the effect desired, merely 
for want of adaptation. A fence, to appear 'well, should 
be appropriate to the buildings and grounds to which 
they belong. It should be so constructed as to accom¬ 
plish the ends for which it is required—that is, protec¬ 
tion—and should possess strength and durability. These 
are some of the things necessary in a fence, and without 
them no fence can appear well.. A good, plain, sub¬ 
stantial farm-house, should not be surrounded by a 
light fancy fence, neither by an expensive ornamental 
one, but by one whose appearance would indicate it 
to be designed for service, and for protecting the 
ground which it encloses from all encroachments. On 
the other hand, a small enclosure around a cottage, 
while it should b$ designed for protection, need not be 
-expensive, and at the same time may be made some¬ 
what ornamental. In enclosing a large and expen¬ 
sive ornamental building, it would not be appropriate 
.to place a common farm fence around it, or .one of a 
light and fragile structure; but it should be of a character 
to correspond in some degree in style and finish with 
the building enclosed. 
To explain my meaning, in my immediate neighbor¬ 
hood, a handsome and expensive brick building, costing 
from four to five thousand dollars, is enclosed with a 
fence made with small planed posts about four inches 
square, with large thin caps, and small rails framed 
into the posts of about twelve feet in length; into these 
rails are inserted round pickets, about one inch in dia¬ 
meter and four inches apart. These are painted green, 
and the remainder of the fenrie white. The height of 
the top rails as 3 ft. 3 inches, and the posts project 12 
inches above it. Perhaps you will say, it is singular 
that a man should have sufficient taste to build a hand¬ 
some house of good proportion and appearance, and not 
see the propriety of having a fence to correspond with 
it. But it is easily accounted for. In building, he 
copied from a house already erected near one of our 
cities, but he forgot to copy the fence enclosing it. 
When he came to build this, he exercised his own taste; 
hence the strange incongruity of appearance. It really 
detracts from the value, as well as looks of the place. 
The fence is sufficiently expensive, but sadly deficient 
in design,*and is of very little protection to the grounds, 
because not high enough to prevent cattle from getting 
over it. This is but one instance in my own immediate 
neighborhood. Again, I know of examples where the 
fence is much more showy, and attracts more notice 
than the buildings and premises they enclose. These 
are perhaps extreme cases, but are such, as far as my 
observation goes, as are of not unusual occurrence. 
Cannot you suggest to your readers something on the 
subject of adaptation and appropriateness of fences as 
enclosures, or give some examples that will tend to 
remedy the evils above suggested. J. Oneida Co. 
Rotary Cultivator. 
This new and improved implement, of which the 
above,is a representation, is designed to prevent the im¬ 
pediments that usually attend any and every article 
heretofore employed in the culture of most kinds of soil. 
Its construction being such that the edges of the imple¬ 
ment, which are ever acting upon the soil, always pre¬ 
sent a front free from the incumbrance that is usually 
met where it is stiff and unyielding. Its action is brisk 
and forcible, by a process which is altogether new, 
though simple and complete. It needs but a glance to 
discover, that all that is wanted to make cultivation 
easy, is here acquired. The proprietor of the above 
article, whose priority of claim to the invention is about 
to be secured by letters patent, would hereby give no¬ 
tice to the public, that an opportunity will soon be of¬ 
fered to test the utility and convenience of this machine 
as specified above. 
For a full understanding of the above cut, let the 
wheel be u nderstood as acting like the wheel of a 
common wheel-barrow, and causing, by means of the 
chord the cylinder to revolve. The shafts are thereby 
put in a semi-opposite motion, causing the circular 
plates of iron to act in a corresponding motion, and in a 
two fold manner upon the soil. In this manner the nu- 
mmerous difficulties attending other implements are 
overcome, and much labor is saved. T. J. Tuthill. 
Elmira, N. Y., Dec., 1847. 
Bones for Manure. 
Dissolving bones in sulphuric acid has been latterly 
practiced in England, and is considered a preferable 
mode to applying them in a broken or crushed state. 
But Prof. Way, in a late lecture on the growth and 
culture of turneps, states that he prefers muriatic to 
sulphuric acid for several reasons; though he thinks we 
may combine the benefits of both plans by the use of 
salt in addition to that of bones or sulphuric acid. He 
directs-—to two bushels of bone-dust, covered with 15 
or 20 gallons of water, half cwt. of common salt to be 
added. When the salt is well mixed and dissolved, half 
cwt. of the oil of vitrol (sulphuric acid) is poured upon 
the mixture. In these circumstances muriatic acid is 
produced which dissolves the bones. This compound is 
said to have a great attraction for water, and will be 
found to collect the moisture of the atmosphere, and 
keep the earth moist, even in severe drouth. 
