146 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
% 
May* 
Profitable Farming. 
In a recent number of your paper, I saw a state¬ 
ment of John Laurie, an English farmer. You 
call him an amateur farmer- we would only call 
him one of our good farmers, as some I have 
known have done still better. It all, as you re¬ 
mark, arises from high cultivation and intelligence, 
with liberal outlay, without a due portion of which 
a farmer can never make a good profit. Some are, 
I am well aware, of opinion, and say, “ oh! it ne¬ 
ver will paybut let them just try and they will 
find out their mistake. To half till and not ma¬ 
nure land, is only throwing away time and impov¬ 
erishing the soil. 
I have traveled a good deal through different 
counties this winter, in a fine region of country, 
and was sorry to see every farmer I called on, re¬ 
main and live satisfied with the old system. Not 
a single barn-yard could show a pile of manure, 
or any neatness or regularity. The two latter 
may seem to many not necessary ; but without 
their being observed, there is often a waste of time 
and labor. It costs far more to be slovenly, than 
to be neat and regular in putting away imple¬ 
ments, &c. 
As to manure, this is by very many, I am sorry 
to say, sadly neglected, and believe me it is the 
farmer’s friend. Unless we give it to the soil, we 
cant expect a due return from it. I have made a 
pile of manure since last spring, from the follow¬ 
ing stock: 10 head of horned cattle, 4 horses, 20 
sheep, and some 10 or 12 hogs. The pile is now 
45 feet long, 16 feet wide, and eight feet high. In 
this is only 12 loads of compost, brought in to 
soak up the overflow of liquid in the fall. Some 
may say, how was it done? I will answer; I did 
it by care, diligence, and a due attention to it, 
taking always favorable opportunities, such as wet 
days, for the purpose of piling and putting it to¬ 
gether. 
In my travels this winter, I made some inquiry 
as to draining, which is also sadly neglected by 
too many. It is folly to expect a good return 
from land in a wet condition, either meadow, pas¬ 
ture, or any kind of green or white crop. I have 
not seen a great deal of real thorough draining 
done since I came to this country, and irrigation 
to very many is little known. Now I should 
strongly recommend every farmer that has the 
means, to drain his farm thoroughly, which is done 
by having drains 18 to 20 feet apart, and 24 feet 
deep, with tile. Then irrigate both meadow* and 
pasture land, where it can be done, and depend 
on it, farms wont require so much artificial ma¬ 
nure. I have experienced the good results of ir¬ 
rigation, and advise strongly its being tried. On 
this branch, I could say a good deal, and give strong 
proofs of its value, but-time does not permit. Be¬ 
lieve me, it is from care in this way, and a proper 
knowledge of farming, that Mr. Laurie makes his 
land pay as it does; and I confess I see no reason 
why faremers here, should not do as well as in 
England. They have cheap and good land, and 
more settled seasons for the benefit of their crops. 
I know labor is high, but let it be turned to good 
account, and it will tell for itself. 
Another important thing in a barn-yard, is a tank 
to receive all the overflow of liquor from the pile, 
and the draining of the yard. In expense of ma¬ 
king, one would pay for itself in one year easily. 
Let any farmer that never tried it. apply a little 
to one of his meadows, and he will find its good 
effects. In England and Scotland, farmers have 
carts, such as we use for watering our streets, for 
taking this liquid from the barn-yard to the 
meadow, field and pasture; and when a farmer can 
make and have the means of improving his land, 
and filling his purse within his own reach at home, 
why need he lay out his money in buying artificial 
or other manures. I don’t, for a single moment, 
mean to do away with these manures; they are 
all useful and good, but we often see better at 
home, neglected. Wishing all our farmers to 
make bold and rapid strides, and not alone com¬ 
pete with, but try to excel, England and Scot¬ 
land, .1 am yours respectfully, A Cultivator of 
the Soil. Oswego , N. Y., March 19, 1853. 
Roofings for Buildings. 
The Prairie Parmer gives the following, as the rela¬ 
tive cost of several different modes of covering roofs, 
after the boards are laid in readiness, which may he 
useful to those about planning erections:— 
Shingles,. 3 cents per square foot. 
Pitch and gravel,.. “ 
Tin,. 10 to 11 “ “ 
Zinc,. 16 to 17 « “ 
Iron,. 16 to 16 “ “ 
Tin and Pitch are always used for fiat roofs, and con¬ 
sequently fewer feet of roofing are required when these 
are used, for buildings of equal area. The great ad¬ 
vantage of tin, as our readers may well know, is its 
perfection and durability, rendering it about as cheap 
in the eastern States, where shingles are more costly 
than above given, as this more perishable covering, in 
the long run. The use of pitch and gravel is rapidly 
increasing, from its cheapness, proof against rain, and 
reputed safety against fire. This covering is applied 
with great rapidity, in the following manner :■—The 
boards are first covered with thick felt paper, manufac¬ 
tured for the purpose, over which a hot mixture of tar 
and pitch is applied with a mop. Immediately as much 
clear gravel is spread over this as will lie, having been 
previously dried in large pans. It is not recommended 
for steep roofs, nor even those of “ one quarter pitch ” 
only. 
No roof can be regarded as a cheap one, which ever 
leaks in the least degree, as the amount of decay this 
occasions in a few years, will cause a greater loss than 
the most costly roof. 
To make Vinegar from Beets. —Grate the washed 
beets, express the juice in. a cheese press, and put the 
liquor in an empty barrel; cover the bung-hole with 
gauze, and place it in the sun. In a few weeks *the 
vinegar will be good. It is said one bushel of sugar 
beets will make five or six gallons of vinegar, which is 
probably nearly correct, as nine-tenths of the substance 
of the beet is liquid, and each bushel of roots contains 
about equal to six gallons in measure, omitting the in¬ 
terstices. — 
Potato Soup. —Almost every farmer’s household is 
fond of soup for supper. I will now write a few “ home- 
spun ” lines on making a cheap apd palatable soup from 
the potato. I take good sound potatoes, peel and cut 
them in pieces small enough to be eaten with a spoon. 
After having them well rinsed, I boil them with enough 
water to leave them in a state of soup, adding salt to my 
taste. When they are cooked, I take about two table 
spoonsful of flour, with half as much lard, and fry it in 
a pan, stirring it with a spoon until changed to a brown 
(not black) color. I then stir it in with the potatoeSj 
after which it is ready for the table. Elizabeth Diehl 
