BENEFITS OF AGRICULTURAL PAPERS. 
That most excellent maxim, “ make yourself acquaint¬ 
ed loith the business of your profession ,” is no less 
applicable to the Farmer, than to men in other voca¬ 
tions. The question very properly arises here, how 
can this knowledge be most readily acquired ? ¥e an¬ 
swer, by observation, by conversation with, and by 
reading the writings of each other. u See what others 
are about f was the advice of a very successful farmer 
and stock-breeder. This should be done by every op¬ 
portunity. There are some,' who are inclined to dis¬ 
trust information derived from books and papers; yet 
they would not hesitate to adopt the same ideas if com¬ 
municated by conversation. Is not this distrust, then, 
owing to an ill-founded prejudice and jealousy ? But 
while we would urge the importance of inquiry, we 
would by no means advise a credulous assent to every 
story which may be heard or read. The minds of far¬ 
mers should be so enlightened that they may be capable 
of judging for themselves, and by a careful discrimina¬ 
tion, be able to select what is really useful and appli¬ 
cable to their peculiar condition. It is only by observa¬ 
tion, by READING, STUDY, COMPARISON, and REFLECTION, 
that this important faculty of discrimination can be 
acquired. 
¥e recommend Agricultural Papers, as furnishing 
the best medium of communication among farmers. It 
is not the province of these papers to assume the cha¬ 
racter of arbitrary teachers. They should rather be 
regarded as furnishing to farmers a medium for the mu¬ 
tual interchange of ideas on the various subjects of 
practical husbandry. Each gives his views, his practice, 
or the results of his observation. These remarks, thus 
embodied and disseminated, furnish every man in turn 
an opportunity of comparing his own ideas and prac¬ 
tices with those of others, by which truth can hardly 
fail of being perceived. 
In choosing an agricultural paper, it becomes an im¬ 
portant object to obtain that one which furnishes the 
GREATEST AMOUNT OF VALUABLE INFORMATION. The 
more extensive the circulation of a paper, and the greater 
the number of practical farmers engaged in its corres¬ 
pondence, the greater, of course, are its facilities for col¬ 
lecting and disseminating information, and the stronger 
are the inducements for patronage. Among the nu¬ 
merous agricultural papers of the country, 
u THE CULTIVATOR ” 
must be considered as holding a prominent position. 
The number of different contributors to this publication 
in the course of the year, is very large; embracing some 
of the most successful farmers and gardeners of every 
State in the Union, as well as several in Europe, the 
Canadas, New-Brunswick, Nova Scotia, &c. These 
extensive facilities of correspondence, together with the 
advantages furnished by all the English and Scotch pe¬ 
riodicals, enable the conductors to render the Cultiva¬ 
tor a most valuable organ of communication to the far¬ 
mers of every section of the country. The discoveries 
of scientific men, so far as practically tested, are from 
time to time made known—notices are given of all new 
and useful implements, illustrated by cuts—descriptions 
and engravings of choice Fruits—improved Plans of 
Farm Buildings—and correct Portraits and descriptions 
of Domestic Animals, Horses, Cattle, Sheep, Swine, 
and Poultry. It is the special aim of the conductors, 
to give practical value to the contents of The Culti¬ 
vator, and the success of their efforts is shown in the 
liberal patronage the work has received. The pecuni¬ 
ary value of a single article, is often ten times more than 
the price of the volume. 
Speaking of the advantages of agricultural papers, 
Mr. Widney says: “ By reading the Cultivator for the 
last eight years, I have derived a cash profit of at least 
fifty dollars per year , in the way of improved cultiva¬ 
tion and farming economy generally.” 
u An intelligent and well informed gentleman from 
the South,” says Hon. Z. Pratt, “ once asserted that 
through the influence of the Albany Cultivator alone, 
the wealth of that part of the country had been increased 
more than two millions of' dollars.” 
Dr. J. W. Thomson, of Newcastle, Delaware, says 
that the influence of the agricultural society of that 
place, (largely assisted by the circulation of agricultu¬ 
ral papers) has, in ten years, been the means of doubling 
the crops, or of adding more than a million dollars to 
the value of the stock and real estate of that county. 
A correspondent in Otsego county, N. Y., says: “Ow¬ 
ing to the circulation of agricultural papers, principally 
the Cultivator, in this section, within the last ten years, 
a decided improvement in the following, among many 
other things, is observable, viz: The operation of plow¬ 
ing is more neatly and thoroughly performed; more 
attention is paid to making, preserving, and application 
of manures, and an increase in the corn crop to 20 or 
30 per cent.” 
Joel Hall, an excellent farmer of Williamson, 
Wajme county, N. Y., says: “ I save every year, at 
least four times the cost of subscription, by reading the 
Cultivator.” 
A farmer in Beaver county, Pa., says, that by the in¬ 
formation derived from the Cultivator, he has succeed¬ 
ed in doubling his corn crop. 
Another says: 11 I have received benefit enough from 
The Cultivator this season, to pay for it five years, by 
way of fattening hogs on apples and bran.” 
Another, being asked to subscribe, said: “ It has 
saved me more than it has cost me. I offered a dollar 
an acre for mowing my peas; but seeing a way mention¬ 
ed to gather them by a horse-rake, I tried it, and in 
half a day had two and a half acres in snug winrows.” 
A subscriber in Chautauque county says: “ I have 
gained enough from two short articles in your paper, to 
pay for it five years. One was to prevent smut in wheat; 
since I adopted your rule, I have not raised a head of 
it, while one of my neighbors had six bushels of smut 
on two acres.” 
PLANTING. 
A Table showing the number of Plants required for 
one acre of land, from one foot to twenty-one feet dis¬ 
tance from plant to plant. 
Distance. 
Ft. In. 
No. 
Distance. 
Ft. In. 
No. 
Distance. 
Ft. In. 
No. 
1 
0 
43,550 
6 
0 
1.210 
12 
0 
302 
1 
6 
19,360 
6 
6 
1,031 
13 
0 
258 
2 
0 
10,890 
7 
0 
889 
14 
0 
223 
2 
6 
6.969 
7 
6 
775 
15 
0 
194 
3 
0 
4,840 
8 
0 
680 
16 
0 
171 
3 
6 
3,556 
8 
6 
602 
17 
0 
151 
4 
0 
2.722 
9 
0 . 
538 
18 
0 
135 
4 
6 
2.151 
9 
6 
482 
19 
0 
121 
5 
0 
1J42 
10 
0 
436 
20 
0 
109 
5 
6 
1,440 
10 
6 
361 
21 
0 
99 
WEIGHTS OF EARTHS, METALS, &c. 
A cubic foot of loose earth or sand, weighs 95 pounds. 
A cubic foot of common soil, weighs 124 pounds. 
A cubic foot of strong soil, weighs 127 pounds. 
A cubic foot of clay, weighs 135 pounds. 
A cubic foot of mason’s work, weighs 205 pounds. 
A cubic foot of distilled water, 'weighs 62.5 pounds. 
A cubic foot of cast iron, weighs 450.45 pounds. 
A cubic foot of steel, weighs 489.8 pounds. 
A cubic foot of lead, weighs 709.5 pounds. 
A cubic foot of platina, weighs 1,2 8.75 pounds. 
A cubic foot of copper, weighs 486.75 pounds. 
A cubic foot of cork, weighs 15 pounds. 
A cubic foot of tallow, weighs 59 pounds. 
A cubic foot of oak, weighs 73.15 pounds. 
A cubic foot of brick, weighs 125 pounds. 
A cubic foot of air, weighs 0.0753 pounds. 
A hand used in measuring the height of horses, is 4 
inches. 
