2S6 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Heavy soil such as the one above named, than on one of 
a more friable texture, yet absolutely requisite to both. 
It is the neglect of this all-important part of good culti¬ 
vation that has induced many to place the limit of profi¬ 
table manuring much lower than the best practice would 
warrant. 
-- 
Indefinite Statements. 
Half the value of agricultural papers is lost for want 
of accuracy In writers. An interesting statement of the 
use of spent tan-bark lately appeared in one of our best 
agricultural periodicals, in which we are informed, that 
a tanner made u a pile” of this material, mixed with 
u his refuse hair, horns, pieces of skin,” &c., and by 
the addition of u a few dollars worth” of ;i some chemi¬ 
cal substance” to induce fermentation, the whole was 
reduced to good manure. It was applied to five acres 
of sandy soil, so sterile li as hardly to produce a blade 
of grass,” and in two years the field yielded, with ordi¬ 
nary cultivation, $250 worth of root crops. 
Whether ‘ 1 the pile” contained a barrow load or a 
ship load—whether u his” refuse hair, &c., was ten 
pounds or ten tons, the accumulation of one week or of 
one year—we are not informed; neither can we know 
what material is meant by “ some chemical substance,” 
whether assafsetida, alcohol, sal ammonia, corrosive sub¬ 
limate, or something else. Nor can we judge by any 
degree of shrewdness, whether the price was such that 
the “ few dollars” would give us a pound or a ton. 
Now, it requires about two hundred and fifty ordinary 
blades of grass to weigh an ounce; and supposing by a 
liberal allowance that ‘ ‘ scarcely a blade” means ten 
blades, or the twenty-fifth part of an ounce, it was cer¬ 
tainly a great achievement to increase this to two hun¬ 
dred and fifty dollars worth. But unfortunately we 
have ho data for determining whether this was not whol¬ 
ly accomplished by the “ horns, hair, and skin,” which 
might have amounted to 30 tons, or largely by the as¬ 
sistance of the u chemical substance,” which might 
have been three tons of lime, or three tons of sulphate 
of lime, or a few pounds of some more costly and pow¬ 
erful substance. 
We advert to this subject merely to show the little 
value of statements whose basis is not accurate weighing 
or measuring. 
Connecticut State Ag. Society. 
We see by the papers that a State Ag. Society was 
organized at New Haven on the 22d of June. The fol¬ 
lowing is the list of officers chosen, viz: 
Sam’I D. Hubbard, of Middletown, President. 
C. I-I. Pond, Piest. N. Haven Co. Ag. Society. 
Norman Porter, Hartford Co. “ 
W. Alexander, u Windham Co. 
P. T. Barnum, u Fairfield Co. “ 
D. C. Whittlesey “ Litchfield Co. “ 
Chas. B. Phelps “ Greenwoods “ 
Chas. Hubbard, “ Middlesex Co. “ Vice-Presidents 
Cor. Secretary —Henry A. Dyer, of Brooklyn. 
Rec. Secretary —Charles W. Elliott of New Haven. 
Treasurer —Geo. Briniey, jr., Hartford. 
Directors —James T. Pratt. Hartford county, Chas. Robinson, New 
Haven co.. Asa Hubbard, Middlesex eo., James M. Curtiss, Tolland 
co., T. 8. Gold, Litchfield co.. Chas. B. Ayer, N. London co., Thomas 
A. Mead, Fairfield co., George A. Payne, Windham co. 
Winter Barley. —A writer in the Gcfiesee Farmer, 
in Indiana, states that he lias raised this grain at the rate 
of 70 bushels per acre. 
Aug. 
Inquiries about Poultry. 
Eds. Cultivator —I have been a constant reader of 
your valuable work, the Cultivator, for the last eighteen 
months, but, in that time, I have not seen any statement 
of the profit of fowls when kept exclusively for eggs, 
with one exception. In the April number, 1851, Chester 
Moses says, “ he keeps from 600 to 700, and they pro¬ 
duce annually 100 eggs; each he also says they are allow¬ 
ed to range unconfined.” 
Now Mr. Editor, this is considerably below my idea of 
the general average of the number of eggs capable of being 
produced by one hen of the common variety, if confined 
to a reasonable space or plat of green pasture, say one 
acre, and fed with grain and all other things needful, 
with plenty of good running water. 
Dr. J. C. Bennett, in his poultry book, page 206, says 
200 is the average number annually. The question I 
wish to come at is, are both these statements correct, and 
is the difference accounted for in the different manage¬ 
ment, one flock running at large, and the other confined. 
How much land in good pasture, should be given to an 
hundred hens, when they are allowed what grain they 
wish. 
Are cocks necessary in a flock of hens, where eggs for 
the market is the only object? Who is right, Mr. Moses 
or Dr. Bennett? 
About what is the average price of eggs in New-York 
annually? How many hens should be kept together for 
health when allowed any desirable quantity of pasture 
to range in? 
If you would inform me in respect to the above in¬ 
quiries through the medium of your very valuable paper, 
you will very much oblige me and others in this region 
of country. 
I think of going into the above business extensively, 
if the information which I seek shall be favorable. 1 
wish, however, to keep on the safe side of the specula¬ 
tion, and be well assured in respect to the matter before 
taking the first step. 
We shall have, in a few months, a continuous line of 
railroad from this place, (Hudson,) to New-York, al¬ 
most; and could send eggs to that market or Boston, 
very quick and safe. II. B. Chamberlain. Hudson, 
Summit co.. July, 1852. 
Soaking Turnep Seed in Fish Oil. —Moore’s New- 
Yorker furnishes a communication, showing how two hun¬ 
dred dollars were saved in one year, by means of an ag¬ 
ricultural paper, which pointed out the remedy of fish 
oil against the turnep fly, and by which means a large 
crop was completely saved, while all others in the neigh¬ 
borhood were destroyed. The seed was soaked 48 hours, 
and then rolled in ashes. 
Value of Carrots. —J. W. Lincoln, of Mass., who 
has for many years used the carrot largely for feeding his 
domestic animals, including swine, and who has made 
some accurate experiments in connection therewith, is so 
thoroughly convinced of their value, that he has been in 
the practice of purchasing the surplus carrots of his 
neighbors, at nine dollars a ton. 
