1853. 
THE CULTIVATOR, 
181 
fixed. The skin can then he gradually sewed up, filling 
in about the block with cotton. The use of a block is, 
I think, better than running one wire from skull to tail, 
and fastening the wing and leg wires to it. The proper 
position, which is obtained only by studying the habits 
of the bird, can be given by bending the wires. The 
birds in the cabinet of Amherst College were prepared 
in this way. W. M. H. Greenwich, N. Y. 
Morgan Horses. — I wish, with many of my neigh¬ 
bors, to ascertain through the columns of the Cultivator, 
whether the old Black Hawk horse, owned by David 
Hill, of Addison county, Vt., is a Morgan or not ; and, 
if you please, give his pedigree. The reason for this is, 
{he Cultivator is considered good authority among us, 
and we wish to be set right in this matter. There is 
one of his colts in this county, brought from Vermont 
last fall. J. A. Marshall. Adrian, Mich., 1853. 
The Black Hawk horse above reierred to, is a genu¬ 
ine Morgan. He was sired by “Sherman Morgan,” 
who was got by the old “ Justin Morgan,” the father 
of the race of Morgans. 
Guano — C. M. C. —Guano can be procured at any 
of the agricultural warehouses in New-York, at two to 
three cents per pound, according to quality and quanti¬ 
ty, -- 
Crows and Corn. —“Will you please inform a young 
farmer, of the most effectual mode of preventing crows 
from pulling young corn? They have proved very de¬ 
structive to my crops formerly.” F. It. G. 
The destruction of corn crops in this way often proves 
a serious evil, for re-planting makes but an uneven crop ' 
at best, and often a half-ripened one. As it is better 
to have fifty bushels of good and well matured corn, 
than twenty-five soft and poor, it is worth some trouble 
to repel the crows. This may be easily effected before 
planting, by first pouring hot water on a half bushel of 
the seed, and then a pint of tar, stirring it quickly. 
Every grain will become coated with a delicate varnish 
of tar, and if then rolled in air-slacked lime before 
planting, no crow will touch it. But, should this reme¬ 
dy come too late in the season, another equally efficacious 
may be used, and this is the common one of stringing 
the field. No crow will enter an angle formed by two 
suspended strings stretched on poles. A curious illus¬ 
tration occurred some years ago, on a long strip of 
soiced corn (for fodder) which was protected by a zig-zag 
string running from one end to the other. Within the 
angles formed by the string, %)tablade was touched; but 
close “without them, at each end, the whole crop was de¬ 
molished. A crow is a remarkably wise fool, and this 
is a complete mode of circumventing him. 
Hen Manure. — E. B. This manure, like guano, 
is too strong to be applied without admixture with other 
matter. Made into compost with equal parts of char¬ 
coal dust, pulverised or charred peat, or mould, it may 
be used for all crops, and it is said to be particularly 
valuable for fruit trees, and as a top-dressing for grass 
lands or grain crops. If used for garden purposes, it 
should be thoroughly mixed -with the soil. 
Ag. Papers.— S. C. P. will answer your inquiry. 
Orange Trees. —I would like to know through your 
paper, the season for grafting the Orange tree, and also 
the soil best adapted to its growth, or’any other infor¬ 
mation in relation to it, would very much oblige me, and 
perhaps some others. II. L. Ward. Middleville, N. Y. 
The best time for grafting the Orange is the spring, 
just before the buds begin to shoot, or it rncy he per¬ 
formed as soon as the wood is sufficiently ripened in rhe 
fall. The soil best adapted for the culture is good mea¬ 
dow loam and decomposed manure, well incorporated. 
0 Zr * Lotan Smith, Esq., President of the Sullivan 
county Ag. Society, desires us to give notice that he has 
removed from his former residence, and that his address 
is “ Bavayvillc, Sullivan county, N. Y.” 
Information Wanted. * 
Time to Sow Plaster. —In this neighborhood, there 
are different opinions as to the proper or best time to 
sow plaster. (The soil, gravel, clay and loam—mine is 
principally light gravel.) On meadows and pastures, 
the majority say as soon as the frost is out in the spring 
—a few say the grass and clover should be dp and look 
green—the most say it is no benefit to wheat in this 
vicinity, and there is considerable wheat raised within 
twenty miles of this place. Now if any of your readers 
can give us any information, in regard to the best time 
of sowing plaster on meadows or pastures, and whether 
it is generally a benefit to wheat, they will do us a fa¬ 
vor. Thomas A. Bemus. North East, Erie Co. } 
Pa., April 7, 1853. - 
Raising Colts by Hand. —I wish to know through 
the readers of the Cultivator, if Colts cannot be raised 
by hand, the same as calves—that is, not let them run 
with the mare, but shut them up, and feed them with 
cow's milk. Young Farmer. Oswego, N. F. 
Reading about the cultivation of Onions in one of the 
back vols. of the Cultivator, it was stated that the seed 
was sown with great regularity and despatch, by a ma¬ 
chine. I would like to find such a one, not costing too 
much. I bought one in New-York, last winter, made 
by Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, cost $3, and instead of in¬ 
creasing my crop to that amount as I hoped it would, it 
lessened it very much, by the irregular distribution of 
the seed. 
Which do you think will be the cheapest manure for 
me to buy, to put on oat ground this fall for wheat; 
100 bushels of ashes, cost $15, or 200 pounds of super¬ 
phosphate of lime, $6 ? May not this latter article be 
prepared cheaper at home, according to the directions of 
the late Prof. Norton ? 
Which is the most profitable root to raise for feeding 
to stock, the Belgian carrot or the French sugar-beet ? 
How lo$g will the seed of the yellow locust keep good? 
A Constant Reader. Orient, N. Y. 
Can you, or any of your correspondents, inform me 
through the Country Gentlemen, why the grass in our 
pastures, of five years standing and upwards, has, as the 
transmutationists would say, “ turned to moss,” as that 
seems to have taken the place of grass to a great ex¬ 
tent, within a few years, in many of them, without res¬ 
pect to soil, condjtion, or situation. In places where 
there was good grass a year or two ago, the sod seems to 
have rotted, and is now covered with moss. 
If you can give the cause and cure, you will oblige 
your friend, and perhaps others. R. F. B. Ellsworth , 
Mahoning Co., Ohio. 
An Agricultural College at Last. —The friends 
of agricultural education throughout the country will be 
pleased to learn that the bill incorporating the New 
York State Agricultural College, has passed both 
branches of the Legislature, and will be put in opera¬ 
tion at an early day. The trustees of the College are 
John Delafield, of Seneca; Henry Wager, of Oneida; 
William Kelly, of Dutchess; John A. King, of Queens; 
N. B. Kidder, of Ontario; Joel W. Bacon, of Seneca; 
William Buel, of Monroe; Tallmadge Delafield and Ro¬ 
bert J. Swan, of Geneva; and such others as maybe 
associated with them. Most of these gentlemen are 
well known to the farming community, as among the 
most able and zealous advocates of agricultural improve¬ 
ment, and will, without doubt, procure a board of in¬ 
struction, who will carry out the long cherished idea of 
thorough, practical and scientific agricultural education. 
By the act of incorporation, the farm and grounds are 
to consist of not less than three hundred acres. 
We reserve for a future time, a more extended notice 
of the details of instruction and organization. The 
features are essentially the same as those embodied in the 
articles on “ An Agricultural College,” which appeared 
in the early numbers of this journal. We wish the in¬ 
stitution prosperity, usefulness and a long life. 
