1853. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
323 
from tire latter, were nearly three times as large as those 
from the former, some of them being two and a half 
inches in length. Mr. King attributes the difference 
entirely to the method of training. The leaves of those 
trained on the cord were fresh and vigorous, while those 
on the pole were completely riddled by insects, and he 
thinks the insects could not attach themselves to those, 
on the cord. --- 
To Clear Smut from Seed Wheat. —Make a strong 
brine, and wash the seed in it for five minutes, and re¬ 
peat the process in another brine. Then dust the whole 
with air slacked lime. The brine clears out and de¬ 
stroys the smut, and removes all small weed-seed. 
Fairin Rensselaer County.' —The fair took place 
at Lansingburg, Sept. 12, 13 and 14. We are informed 
that the number of entries were not so large as on for-, 
mer occasions, though the character of the exhibition 
was fully equal to any previous show. Prominent 
among the Cattle, were the Devons recently imported by 
Geo. Vail, Esq., and which in spite of their long voy¬ 
age, showed evident marks of high-breeding. The 
show of Horses vfas not very large, but embraced some 
fine animals. The rain diminished the attendance very 
materially the last day; still a goodly number were pre¬ 
sent to listen to the address, delivered by B. P. John- 
sohn, Esq. We did not have the pleasure of hearing 
it, but we are informed that he was listened to with in¬ 
terest, and frequently received the applause of his au¬ 
dience. -—■ 
The Wheat Insect. —This insect, whose ravages are 
gradually extending west, has been found, we believe, 
uniformily to commit the least injury where early ripen¬ 
ing varieties have been sown, and where the crop has 
been put in early, so as to mature before the insect is 
ready for the assault. Farmers -whose crops have ripen¬ 
ed soonest have not lost a tenth, while others of late 
maturity have been more than half destroyed. 
Yield of Broom Corn.-— Broom com yields from 300 
to 1000 pounds of brush per acre, average, say 500— 
the price ranging from three to ten cents per pound. 
The seed ripens in the Northern States about half the 
seasons. Twenty-five to fifty bushels are a common 
crop, but sometimes over a hundred. The price of the 
seed 25 to 35. cents. --- 
Depth of Roots.—Linus Cone, of Michigan, states 
in Moore's New-Yorker, as the result of all his exami¬ 
nations, that he lias invariably found the ro»ts of grass, 
grain, vegetables, fruit and forest trees, occupying all 
the soil, no matter what was its depth. He has taken 
out stumps where the roots penetrated a hard clay more 
than eight feet, and has gathered wheat roots by the 
handful, in a drain more than three feet beneath the 
surface. He hence infers that the deeper the soil can 
be plowed, and rendered friable and fertile, the better. 
Water in Peat,— The importance of placing peat 
and swamp muck in a position to drain and dry thor¬ 
oughly after digging, and before drawing, may be well 
understood when it is stated that usually from 80 to 90 
parts out of a hundred are water, as commonly seen in 
a moist state, fresh and black from the swamp. 
Super-phosphate of Lime. 
Messrs. Editors —Can you inform me what are 
the ingredients of “Super-phosphate of Lime?’ 5 and 
something of the manner of manufacturing it? If you 
cannot, can you refer me to some one that can? I sup¬ 
pose there is nothing private about it. S. R. Holmes. 
Hadlyme , Ct. y August 25, 1853. 
Phosphate of lime, as found in bones and minerals, 
is insoluble in pure water, while super-phosphate of 
lime is readily soluble. The phosphate contains 48£ 
percent phosphoric acid, and 51 1 lime. Super-phos¬ 
phate contains 71| phosphoric acid, and 28|- lime. The 
object of the manufacturer is to convert the one into 
the other. To do this, he must abstract 32 pounds of 
lime from each 100 pounds of phosphate. This he ac¬ 
complishes by adding 45 pounds of pure sulphuric acid, 
which takes away the 32 pounds of lime, forming sul¬ 
phate of lime, while the 30. pounds of phosphoric acid 
set free , immediately unites with the undecomposed 
phosphate, forming the desired super-phosphate of lime. 
Fresh hones alone do not make a good commercial su¬ 
per-phosphate . It is not dry enough to put into hags. 
Nevertheless, it is a better fertilizer than super-phos¬ 
phate made from animal charcoal, mineral phosphate, 
&c. 
The greatest difficulty in making super-phosphate is 
to g«t the bones, animal charcoal, or any phosphoric 
compound that may be used, ground sufficiently fine. 
In the principal English factory, they are first passed 
through cast iron crushers, and then through different¬ 
ly set stone mills,' revolving with great rapidity, till 
the phosphate is reduced to an impalpable powder. 
Animal charcoal, at present, is much the cheapest 
source of phosphates in this country. It must be finely 
ground, made into a thin paste with about 80 per cent 
of water, and then be thoroughly stirred with 50 lbs. 
sulphuric acid, (sp. gr. 1.7) to each 100 pounds of dust 
With coprdlites, 60 per cent of acid is required, in con¬ 
sequence of the large quantity oF carbonate of lime 
they contain, which of course has to be converted into 
a sulphate, before the acid can act on the phosphate. 
The vessels in which the mixture is effected should be 
lined with lead, as this metal is not corroded by sul¬ 
phuric acid. 
If you wish to convert fresh or boiled bones into su¬ 
per-phosphate, they must he crushed as fine as pos¬ 
sible, moistened with about half their weight of water, 
and then 37 per cent of sulphuric acid, (sp.gr. 1.7) ad¬ 
ded, and the whole well mixed. 
A superior article is obtained by mixing ibout 100 
pounds at once, In a wooden or leaden vessel, throwing 
it out into a heap as soon as mixed. We have, howev¬ 
er, made a good super-phosphate by placing the bone- 
dust on a wooden floor, wetting with water, and then 
adding the acid at intervals, continually turning over 
the heap, so as to well mix the ingredients. This is 
much the cheapest way. S. 
Clay Soils.—T he remedies for the inconveniences 
and defects of clay soils, are—thorough underdraining; 
coarse manuring; the application of sand, when not too 
expensive; autumn plowing; and, on a small scale, or 
for gardening purposes, paring and burning. 
