1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
351 
the bed, on a shelf, fitted, 2 feet 6 inches broad and 11 
inches deep. This is filled within one inch of the top, 
beating the mass down in successive portions with a 
brick or mallet, as firm as possible, as the shelf is be¬ 
ing filled. If it do not heat very vehemently, then all 
is going on well; but if it begin to burn, turn up with 
a dung-fork, to let the rank heat escape; when that 
has passed off, beat all down as before, and in a day 
or two the bed is ready for spawning. 
“ The heat in the bed when spawned, should not ex¬ 
ceed 90° Fahrenheit, when the thermometer is sunk 5 
inches into the bed. When of this heat insert pieces of 
spawn a little larger than a hen’s egg, 9 inches apart, 
and just so deep as to be little more than covered. Lay 
on earth immediately, of a strong loomy character, 3 
inches deep, and beat it all over firm with the back of 
a spade. In this state let the bed lie for eight or ten 
days, by which time the heat has declined a little.— 
Then cover it all over with hay, which increases the 
heat considerably ; water it on the top of the hay with 
a syringe, two or three times a week, with water of the 
same temperature as the house, which is generally about 
60o Fahrenheit. I never water directly on the surface 
of the bed, finding this, from experience, to have a very 
bad effect. In about five or six weeks at longest, the 
mushrooms make their appearance. I generally gather 
two pints a day from a bed 2 1-2 feet broad by 27 feet 
long. I have frequently, however, got as much as two 
pecks in one day when the bed was in full bearing ; and 
on one occasion I had 2 1-2 quart bottles of ketchup 
made from a single gathering.” 
Rules for Plowing. 
The Committee on Plowing at the late exhibition of 
the Onondaga county Agricultural Society, laid down 
the following rules. In regard to the first rule, we 
think the nature of the subsoil should be regarded 
in deciding on the depth of furrow—though six inches 
may be shallow enough for any soil. In some eases, 
where the subsoil is rich in the substances which consti¬ 
tute the food of plants, there is often great advantage 
in bringing the lower earth to the surface, where, by 
the action of air, heat, &c., it becomes a manure: but 
where the elements of fertility are to be added to the 
soil—that is, when the richness does not naturally exist, 
but is applied—we are in favor of less depth of furrow; 
though we would loosen and stir the earth as much as 
practicable with the subsoil plow. 
“ First, the ground should all be plowed and in no 
case less than six inches deep. The fertility of the soil 
will be greatly increased if the depth is gradually in¬ 
creased to twelve inches, and a greater depth is de¬ 
sirable. 
“ Secondly, the furrow should be well turned. And 
to do this- the width of the furrow slice must always 
(except in the summer fallowing) be graduated to the 
depth of the furrow. If the furrow is too deep for the 
breadth cut, the slice will stand edgewise. If the slice 
is too wide for the depth of the furrow, a “balk” will 
be left on which nothing ought to be expected to grow, 
and if the next furrow is properly plowed, a hole will 
be left where the preceding furrow was improperly 
turned. 
“ Thirdly, where the surface of the ground will per¬ 
mit, the furrow should be straight, that the work may 
be more easily performed and have a more workman¬ 
like appearance than it otherwise would have. 
“ Fourthly, where the earth is light and sandy, the 
flat furrow is best because it leaves the soil more com¬ 
pact, and less likely to be injured by drouth. If the 
soil is stiff and inclining to clay, the furrow is best if 
left at an angle of forty-five degrees, because the har¬ 
row will most effectually operate on the surface, and 
under each furrow a small channel will be left whkjh 
will assist in disposing of the surplus water which may 
fall upon the surface, and also will render the soil more 
loose and friable.” 
To the above we add the following extract from the 
report of the Committee on plowing, at the late Pitts¬ 
field (Mass.) exhibition: 
“Your Committe at this time beg to offer a few re¬ 
marks on what remains to be done in the way of im¬ 
provement. The work we have seen to-day approaches 
near to perfection, according to the general standard. 
The whole surface was thoroughly turned over, the 
depth and width well preserved. The only notice¬ 
able defects we have remarked on this and other occa¬ 
sions being that the dead furrow is not in all cases 
handsomely cleared up, and more care might be well 
bestowed in making the ends of the lands even. Al¬ 
though there may be some practical objections to the 
plan, it is worthy of consideration whether each plow¬ 
man should not be required to stake a land and open 
the first furrow for himself, a requirement which would 
be a sure test of the skill of the workman and of the 
care with which his team was broken. According to 
the present plan, a superior plow may, and frequently 
does, make all the difference observable in the work of 
two men, while the skill may be on the losing side. It 
has been remarked that this plowing is nearly perfect, 
according to our standard. It remains to inquire in 
what respect our standard is imperfect. The answer 
is in the fact that if an average-plowed field here be 
compared with one in many foreign countries where the 
plows are greatly inferior in all respects to ours we 
shall find ttie comparison tells against us. The differ¬ 
ence is less observable in sward plowing, which is ne¬ 
cessarily the only species of plowing practiced at plow- 
ing-matches. In the art of plowing a given piece of 
sward flat, we may challenge competition. Whether 
flat furrows even in sward are the best is an open ques¬ 
tion. Without entering into the merits of the two sys¬ 
tems it may not be out of place to mention that in con¬ 
sequence of some remarks in favor of this method by 
the Committee of last year, the subject was discussed 
by the North Stockbridge Farmer’s Club, when it ap¬ 
peared that, the nearly unanimous opinion was in favor 
of the shingling or lapped furrows. It is however, in 
the plowing ol mellow land that we are most in fault, 
which arises on one side, from our pursuing the same 
system on the fallow that we do on the sward, of plow¬ 
ing wide and reversing flat, and on the other hand from 
the little care that is used in staking out the field in a 
scientific manner, and according to a well understood 
plan. It is to be regretted that neither of these sub¬ 
jects, fallow plowing, or the staking out of fields,which 
are at once a school and a test of good plowing, can 
come before the public at a ploughing-match; but a 
means might be devised whereby premiums should be 
offered for the best and most scientific fallow of five or 
ten acres, on the applicant’s own farm, in the same 
way as we offer premiums for the best acre of corn or 
rye. It is believed that the best results might follow 
the adoption of such a plan.” 
Saving Pumpkins. 
Every farmer who raises many pumpkins, usually lo¬ 
ses a large portion, or else loses a large portion of their 
value, by freezing during sharp autumnul frosts. Some 
keep them into winter, and not having cellar room, 
throw them to the cows, when frozen about as hard as 
a brick-bat, and their ice-ribbed exterior resisting the 
sharpest teeth of a young brindle. 
Gathering pumpkins and stacking corn-fodder are 
often performed on the same day; and if the farmer* 
when he builds his stack of stalks, will make a layer 
