49 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
and hogs, one may increase this heap to several 
loads for each animal kept. 
When straw is not at hand, a resort to the woods 
for leaves as bedding, is an excellent substitute, 
and they are certainly within the reach of all. I 
have drawn several loads of them this fall, and find 
them good for bedding. Any one who has not 
tried it, will be surprised to find how easily and 
quickly they are obtained. Yours respectfully, 
Composter. Richfield Springs, N. Y. 
The Advantage of Agricultural Reading. 
Mr. Tucker— It is a trite remark that every 
kernel of corn helps to swell the heap. So is it 
with the mass of intellect in the world. Every in¬ 
dividual mind helps to increase the common stock 
of knowledge more or less. This fact is my ex¬ 
cuse for presenting my thoughts thus publicly to 
notice. 
My relish for your publications is unabated, and 
if possible keener than ever. I regard agricultu¬ 
ral publications as the great medium for the inter¬ 
change of thought and experience between farmers, 
and the most efficient means of uniting in the im¬ 
provement of our profession, the bone and sinew 
of the country. Farmers are not a visiting class, 
and our paper is the only means of cultivating an 
acquaintance and informing ourselves of each 
other’s progress in the culture of the soil and the 
mind. Others may say what they please, but to 
my mind it is certain that agricultural journals 
are the beacon-lights that point out the shoals and 
breakers to the young, reassure the experienced, 
and guide us safely to success. 
Does any one ask for proof of this? I will an¬ 
swer by asking in turn a few questions. Where 
did I first get the idea of sub-soiling ? and what 
induced me to purchase that old sub-soil plow 
that had stood for years in a neighbor’s corn 
house, unused, uncared for, and unappreciated? 
I am indebted to my agricultural reading for the 
suggestion, and all the good results which have 
grown out. of the practice of sub-soiling are to be 
credited to that. I believe I was the first farmer 
in the town of Scipio, who sub-soiled a field, and 
for some cause several others have followed my 
example, and our merchant has ordered and sold 
a load of sub-soil plows since. No one who has 
used one could be prevailed upon to part with it. 
Again, what led me to excavate beneath my 
stable and build a manure factory, worked princi¬ 
pally by shoat power? Why is it that this cellar 
needs clearing of good manure so often? How 
did I ascertain that muck, leaves, and rotten wood, 
would restore a lumpy soil to fertility? I might 
ask many such questions, but it is enough for me 
that I did ascertain these things, and that I find 
it a deal of labor to take care of the means of fer¬ 
tility thus in my command. 
Why was I induced to try an experiment with 
guano, the first which scented the atmosphere of 
old Scipio, and can now testify to its fertilizing 
properties? Perhaps by this time I shall be called 
an egotist, but I deny the charge, and insist that 
far from boasting and expatiating on what I have 
already learned and done, I feel my comparative 
ignorance, and want more light and knowledge,— 
more strength of intellect. I expect to gain these 
by agricultural reading, and reflection on what I 
read. It is a pleasing thought to know that we 
can enrich our fields and our minds, and reap in 
greater abundance if we will. Christopher E. 
Roffee. Scipio, Cayuga Co., N. Y. 
Self-Styled “Scientific Agriculture.” 
It was with cordial feelings that I lately read 
in the Nov. No. of “ The Cultivator,” page 865, 
vol. 9, an article over the signature of Cultor, 
which, in some respects, so coincided with my 
ideas, that I thus express my approbation, and 
encourage the writer, (though wholly unknown to 
me,) to renew his criticisms whenever there shall 
be so much cause for them. 
I was lately handed a specimen number of an 
agricultural periodical, w’hich promised to be a 
valuable visitant to our rural class; but one arti¬ 
cle caught my attention, and cast a shade upon 
the paper. It solicited communications from its 
subscribers, with an assurance they should be pub¬ 
lished, without regard to their conforming to the 
views of the editor—but be left for the judgment 
of its readers to decide upon their respective mer¬ 
its and demerits. 
Now, while I am in favor of a proper liberality 
on the part of an editor, who is not expected to 
endorse every article in his paper; yet I fear much 
of the harm caused by, and prejudice against ag¬ 
ricultural periodicals, have arisen from a want of 
a more vigorous and discriminating scrutiny into 
the merits of articles designed for the public, be¬ 
fore they are allowed to be placed before it, under 
an implied semi-official sanction of the editor. 
Allow me to suggest to such of your readers as 
are also writers for agricultural periodicals, and 
who have not perused the communication of 
“ Cultor,” to turnback and carefully digest it— 
and even a second perusal will, I think, essential¬ 
ly benefit some writers, provided they properly 
profit thereby. 
I have been a constant subscriber to, and reader 
of the Cultivator, from its first establishment by 
the lamented Judge Buel, up to the present time, 
and I have uniformly, as I have had occasion, 
spoken of it, as upon the whole, decidedly the 
