128 
THE CULTIVATOR 
April 
Answers t© Inquiries. 
Back Volumes of the Cultivator. —In answer to 
several inquiries, we state that we can supply orders 
for any or all of the back volumes of “ The Cultivator.” 
The first series, consists of ten vols. quarto, price, 
stitched, $1 per vol. New series, four vols. now com¬ 
plete, stitched, $1 per vol. The usual discount to 
agents. These vols. can any of them, be always ob¬ 
tained, bound or unbound, of our agents in New-York, 
Messrs. M. H. Newman & Co., booksellers, 199 
Broadway. 
Manner of spreading Lime. —E. H. 0., Peters- 
burgh, Va. Lime is sometimes taken from the kiln in 
carts, laid on the field in small heaps, and covered 
slightly with earth; in which situation it remains till 
it has slaked and become thoroughly fine, when it is 
spread with a shovel. In other cases, it is allowed to 
become considerably slaked before it is carted, and is 
spread over the field immediately from the cart. 
Composition for Grafting. —S. F. C., Philadel¬ 
phia. See an article under the horticultural head in 
our last number. 
White or Ox-Eye Daisy. —(Chrysanthemum leucan- 
themum.) L. S., Fredonia, N. Y. The seeds of this plant 
will vegetate after having passed through the bodies of 
horses or cattle, and it would not, therefore, be advisa¬ 
ble to use manure made from hay which contained the 
seeds, unless great care was taken to destroy the plants 
as soon as they could be readily found. 
Quantity of Carrot seed for an acre. —A. F., 
Hudson, N. Y. The quantity of seed required for an 
acre, depends on the width between the rows; the usu¬ 
al width is about sixteen inches; and when sown with 
a good machine, about one pound is sufficient for an 
acre. It may be had at the Albany Agricultural 
Warehouse, at a dollar and twenty-five cents per 
pound. 
“Do Oyster-shells contain Posphate of Lime?” 
D. G. Washington, D. C. The quantity of posphate of 
lime is very small, not exceeding one per cent. They, 
however, form an excellent application for fruit trees, 
on many soils; but if the posphate of lime is especial¬ 
ly required, it would be better obtained by the use of 
bones. The bones or shells would be more immediate¬ 
ly useful if they were reduced to small pieces. 
Work on Goats.— J. W. 0. We do not know of 
any separate work on goats. They are spoken of in 
several works on agriculture; and Loudon describes 
the various domesticated species, and their uses. 
Lead pipes for water.— The inquiry is often made 
whether lead pipes or tubes used for the conveyance of 
water, impart to the water any injurious quality. The 
conclusion generally prevails, among those who have 
investigated the matter, that lead is not entirely safe, 
so far as regards the purity of the water. Dr. Holmes, 
in a late number of the Maine Farmer , has given an 
article on this subject, from which we gather the fol¬ 
lowing : that perfectly pure water in lead, causes the 
formation of an oxide of lead, which dissolves and the 
water becomes poisonous: that all the salts of lead are 
poisonous when taken into the stomach: that the oxides 
readily form combinations with acids and alkalies, 
which are deleterious to those who may swallow them, 
whether in solution or otherwise. 
Sometime since we received an inquiry i,n relation to 
the cause of the decay of lead pipe, when placed in 
the ground and used for conveying wateV. It was said 
the pipes soon became thin, that holes were formed in 
them which rendered them worthless. By the abovd 
reasoning, it may be seen that the decomposition of the 
pipe may be owing to its oxidation from the action of 
the water } its particles becoming dissolved and carried 
away by the current. 
Clay Pipes for Draining. —C. A. K. Parma Cen¬ 
tre, N. Y. We are not apprised of clay pipes of the 
kind described by Prof. Norton, being made in this 
country; but we are informed that measures have been 
taken to introduce a machine by which they are made, 
and commence the manufacture of them. 
Sowing Buckwheat with Wheat. —T. H., Col¬ 
chester,. Canada West. We cannot see how the rava¬ 
ges of the Hessian fly can be prevented by buckwheat 
being sown with wheat. We can imagine no quality 
in the.buckwheat that would repel the fly and certain¬ 
ly the fly could not live in the buckwheat. We should 
therefore, attribute the exemption of the crop to which 
you refer, to accident, and not any influence of the 
buckwheat. 
Downing’s “ Fruit and Fruit Trees.” —J. H., 
Ottawa, Ill. The price, of this work, with colored 
plates, is $15; that of the common edition, $1.50. 
The latter contains the outline figures of fruits, but no 
plates. 
Osage Orange. —M. D. Jr., Lynchburgh, Va. The 
seeds of this plant are advertised by M. B. Bateham, 
Columbus, Ohio, at $2 per quart. We do not know of 
any new seed for sale here. Abundance of young plants 
may be had in this vicinity at $12 per thousand. 
Cotswold and Leicester Sheep. —L. F., Waynes- 
boro, Va. We cannot say who has sheep of these 
breeds for sale in this neighborhood. Persons who 
have them would do well to inform us. 
J. F., Urbana, 0. We can send any of the back 
vols. of the Cultivator in sheets, without stitching. 
Cheese.— In answer to various inquiries, we will 
give an article on this subject next month. 
Ide’s Cultivator. —In answer to an inquiry made 
sometime since in regard to this implement, Mr. Na¬ 
than Ide writes us that it will effectually destroy “wire 
grass,” Canada thistles, and other noxious plants, if 
it is properly used. He states that he has now a good 
wheat field, where the wire grass had entire possession 
a few years ago-—it is now perfectly clean. 
“White Black-berries.” —Mr. Geo. A. Mason, 
of Jordan, N. Y., informs us that this kind of fruit is 
quite common in his neighborhood. 
Supposed injury to hogs by Buckwheat. —Mr. S. 
RAckman, of Highland county, Va., writes us that he 
lost several hogs last fall, while they were feeding on 
the “tailings” left after cleaning buckwheat, and he 
wishes to know whether the experience of othersfwould 
justify the belief that the hogs died in consequence of 
any injurious effects from the substance mentioned. 
We should like to hear the remarks of others, but in 
the mean time would observe, that we should be incli¬ 
ned to attribute the injury to the dust which the hogs 
probably inhaled while working over the refuse. We 
have known similar results from hogs being allowed 
access to the chaff of oats, barley and rye. 
Price of Guano. —W. H., Machias, Me. We un¬ 
derstand the price of guano in Boston, wonld be from 
three to five dollars per hundred, according to quality. 
Bones with Sulphuric acid. —W. H. We have 
not heard of bones having been prepared with sulphu¬ 
ric acid in this country; but in England they are much 
used for manure when decomposed in this way, and for 
immediate effect are considered better than when only 
crushed. 
Other inquiries will be answered next month. 
India Rubber Horse Collar. —This is a new in¬ 
vention, consisting of India rubber inflated with air. It 
is said to fit easier on the horse’s neck than anything 
yet made. 
In New South Wales , according to foreign papers, 
more than 350,000 cattle .and sheep have, within the 
last two years, been boiled up for their tallow. 
