THE CULTIVATOR. 
Answers to Inquiries. 
Swamp Muck.-—W ill swamp muck that has been 
drained and left in a pile through the winter, answer 
for corn without being composted with other manure? 
How much should be applied io the acre? J. H. Bry¬ 
an. Farmington , Ct. 
Where soils are especially destitute of decayed ve¬ 
getable matter, which is not often the case, swamp 
muck exposed to the winter, and applied alone, will 
prove beneficial; but we have never in any case- found 
it nearly equal to good stable manure; neither have we 
found it so when made into a compost with ashes. But 
its greatest value appears to he its power of absorbing 
the liquid portions of animal manures. ^ It will, if quite 
dry, absorb nearly nine times its weight} of liquids, and 
henee, when, applied to yards or stables will be of little 
comparative value if already saturated with water. It 
should he kept dry under a shed or in an out-house, 
where portions may be obtained and applied successive¬ 
ly as wanted. --• 
Guano for Corn and Cotton.— Please publish, as 
soon as convenient, the best mode of applying guano to 
corn and cotton—the quantity per acre &c. A. J. Clin¬ 
ton, North Carolina . 
Guano may he well mixed with ten times its weight 
of pulverised soil or mould, sown broad-east, and cover¬ 
ed with a shallow plowing—a gang-plow would be just 
the thing for this purpose. The quantity should be 
from two to four hundred pounds of guano per acre- 
four hundred pounds for poor soils. If the soil is quite 
oor, an addition of one hundred pounds, applied in the 
ill before planting, would be of use. The best way is 
to drop a spoonful, (that is equal to a spoonful of pure 
guano,) to each hill, cover this with an inch of earth, 
and then plant the com upqn.it. This mode has been 
found to succeed when unmixed guano in small quanti¬ 
ties, has been applied to each hill. 
We have.no knowledge of the application of guano 
to cotton'—-hut presume the same general rules to he ap¬ 
plicable, as to corn. 
An admixture of plaster or gypsum equal in quantity 
to the guano, has been strongly recommended, and would 
no doubt be useful—but in ordinary cases all the ammo¬ 
nia that can escape until plowed under, will be effectual¬ 
ly retained through the absorption of the soil. 
Corn After Turners.— In answer to P. B., Ote- 
go, I would state my experience. I have, in three dif¬ 
ferent seasons, planted corn where I had turneps on one 
side of a lot the year previous. The turneps were grown 
on what I considered the best land. There was a marked 
difference in the cofh all the summer, and-at harvest I 
found the produce much less, after the turneps, hut as I 
did not measure it, cannot say how much less. D. 
Platt. South Britain, Conn. 
Peat Ashes. 1 —Will you have the goodness to state 
the comparative value of Peat Ashes , as a garden fer¬ 
tilizer? A Subscriber. 
ous to pastures, and requests information. No accurate 
■experiments have ever been made with it, that we are 
aware of, but there is no doubt that it is quite similar 
in character to the clung of other birds, which is well 
known to be among the most powerful of all kinds of 
fertilizers. The only way in which it can injure vege¬ 
tation, is in quantities too large, corroding in the same 
way that guano is found to do. 
Ever-Green Sweet Corn. —In your January num¬ 
ber, f EP inquires about the keeping green and plump, 
S to well's Ever-Green Corn. I reside in the city of 
Burlington, N. J., where the “ inventor,'’-'' as he claims, 
of the said corn, is to he found; and have frequently 
eaten of it, both of his growing.and of my tenants, and 
think it in no respect preferable to other well cultivated 
sugar-corn. F. 
Information Wanted. 
I would like to be informed through the Cultivator, if 
lime can be used profitably in <e bringing up” soil that 
has been cropped, until it will not produce one half the 
amount of its original crop. The timber was principally 
beach and maple; and the soil what we call hard-pan . 
Soil from one foot to two and a half in depth. If lime 
can be made profitable, how should it be applied? I 
wish to know the best way to “ bring up - my land; 
and any information through your paper would be thank¬ 
fully received. Lime can be had for 18 3-4 cents per 
bushel. Plaster at about the same.price. A Subscri¬ 
ber. Berkshire, Tioga Co., N, Y., Jan. 14, 1853. 
Stall-feeding Cattle. 1 — I wish to inquire through 
the Cultivator, for the best and most economical way of 
stall-feeding cattle. I would like to hear from some 
one who has had experience-give the particulars, whether 
the feed should be ground, provided you had to go six 
niiles to a mill? and should the cattle be confined in the 
stable, or allowed to run out through the day? The 
plan that I have adopted for the first time, being the 
first trial—is to feed corn from the shook not husked, 
in the stables, giving pigs access to the manure. If any 
one has a better way I would like to hear of it. J. 
Otis. Berlinville, Ohio . 
Culture of Castor Oil Bean.— Can you give the 
necessary information as to soil, culture, and manner of 
extracting the oil from the Castor Bean. Yours, Bra- 
cey Tobey. .East Glenville, JDec. 27, 1852. ' 
Rosendale Cement.-—Mr. Editor : What is Posen - 
dale Cement? -Is it proper for making hard floors for 
cellars, or pointing up cellar walls? If so, is it the best 
and cheapest article for such purposes? How is it tube 
prepared for use, and what preparation does the surface 
need previous, to its application—what will he the ex¬ 
pense per square yard of such a floor. Information on 
these points will much oblige me. Yours, G. P. Gates. 
Trexleftoxcn, Leghigh, Pa., Bee. 7, 1852. 
Peat ashes are worth about as much as the poorer 
kinds of wood ashes, containing usually about 5 or 6 per 
cent, of potash and soda,, with considerable quantities of 
magnesia, lime, and often iron. Their value is greatly 
impaired by exposure to rains, which soon washes away 
their most valuable ingredients. 
The Old u Black Hawk.” —A correspondent in 
Michigan, L. A. Marshall, wishes us to state (i wheth¬ 
er or not the old Black Hawk horse, owned by David 
Hill, of Bridport, Vermont, is a Morgan or not.” 
There is no doubt of the fact that Black Hawk is a 
grandson of the original Justin Morgan horse. His his¬ 
tory, together with that of the original Morgan horse, 
has frequently been given in the. Cultivator. 
Manure From Geese. —A correspondent, (D. 
Platt, of South Britain, Ct.,) alludes, to a. common 
opinion among his neighbors, that goosedung is poison¬ 
Barn Door Fowls, &c. —Which are the best three 
varieties, all things considered, for the Middle and 
Northern States? 
Are the pure blooded, or mixed breeds, the best? And 
if mixed, which varieties do best together? 
For Northern New-York, what, breed of cattle are 
the most desirable for the dairy, beef, and working 
oxen? What variety of sheep and swine are best? 
S. R. W. 
Fire Kindlers —A late paper says that kind¬ 
ling materials enough to last a family a whole year, 
lighting quickly with a match, and starting any 
dry wood, may. be made of a quart of tar, 3 lbs. 
rosin, mixed when melted, with as much sawdust, 
and a little charcoal—the whole to be spread while 
hot . upon a board, and when cold broken into 
lumps the size of a hickory nut. 
