394 
THE CULTIVATOR. Dec. 
portion where the black-ash grew, is a friable, mellow 
loam, of seven or eight inches, or even a foot in depth, 
resting on a tenacious subsoil. On the dried soil sur¬ 
rounding these swamps, is a stiff barren clay, into which 
the roots of plants can penetrate only with difficulty. 
The following is the produce of twelve acres cultivated 
by Mr. Cherry last season. 
800 bushels of corn in ears, sold at 25c.,.. $200 00 
750 do potatoes at 50c,... , .... 375 00 
135£ do wheat at 100c.,. 135 50 
$710 50 
Mr. Cherry had 85 acres of wheat this season, (1851,) 
which averaged upwards of 30 bushels per acre. In the 
management of his land, his first object is to drain the 
surface, fairly, which has been done so far mostly by open 
drains, and thus managed, the produce is abundant. Wm. 
H. Sotham. Black-Rock , Oct . 17, 1851. 
Laying-in Trees for Winter. 
A correspondent wishes to know the best mode of 
preserving removed fruit trees, intended for spring plant¬ 
ing, from mice and severe frost during winter. In an¬ 
swer—set them upright on the surface of the ground, 
or in a moderate hollow dug for the purpose, and then 
bank up the earth into a broad mound about them, rais¬ 
ing it well up the stems. Mice will never ascend a fresh 
bank of earth under snow. The trees should not be 
placed so compactly together as to prevent the earth 
from filling in pretty well among the interstices. If 
rather tender, incasing or thatching with two or three 
inches thickness of any evergreen boughs, will afford 
good protection from severe cold. 
-- 
Large and Small Potatoes. 
Eds. Cultivator —I perceive, by recent communica¬ 
tions in your paper, that although potatoes have been 
raised for more than two hundred years, it is still dis¬ 
puted whether large or small ones are the most profita¬ 
ble to plant for seed. Being myself in the dark on this 
point, I concluded to contribute my mite towards the 
solution of the problem by submitting it to the test of 
experience. 
On the thirtieth of April, 1851, I planted, on one 
square rod of land, in seventy-two hills, seventy-two 
small potatoes, from the size of a hickory nut to that of 
a hen’s egg. The seed measured about two quarts, and 
weighed three and a half pounds. To plant an acre in 
this manner would require ten bushels of seed. On the 
same da 3 r , on a square rod adjoining, I planted seventy- 
two large potatoes, in seventy-two hills, placing one in 
each hill, without cutting. The seed measured more 
than a peck, and weighed fifteen pounds. 
On the twentieth of August, I dug both patches. The 
product of the small potatoes was five pecks, weighing 
eighty-four pounds, which would give a yield of two 
hundred bushels to the acre. The product of the large 
potatoes was one hundred and fifty-eight pounds, mea¬ 
suring nine pecks, which would give three hundred and 
sixty bushels to the acre. The vines averaged four to 
each hill, while those of the small potatoes were only 
three. The vines from the large potatoes grew much 
faster and larger than the others, but in the size of the 
potatoes there was no great difference. 
When I planted the two patches, I expected the pro¬ 
duct would be about alike. Not being yet satisfied that 
so great a difference will always result, I shall try the 
experiment again next season. 
Last year there was no rot among the potatoes in this 
part of the country. The early part of the season was 
cold and very dry. The same kind of potatoes on the 
same farms, with the same cultivation, are now rotting 
badly. I attribute the prevalence of the rot to the 
great amount of rain that has fallen here the present 
season. T. F. Scio, Mich., August 23, 1851. 
Protecting Tender Roses. 
The Prairie Farmer has for several years successfully 
protected tender roses by covering them with tan-bark, 
and then shielding the tan-bark from rains by a cover¬ 
ing of boards. A Tea rose, which had always stood 
without injury by this treatment, was accidentally de¬ 
prived of the shelter of the boards, by which the tan 
became soaked with rain, and the plant was destroyed. 
For the same reason, the soil must be well drained. 
Stripping off the leaves before covering, prevents their 
decay in contact with the stems, an occurrence often 
causing portions of the bark to blacken with decay. 
ANSWERS TO INQUIRSES. 
Intermixture of varieties of Corn.—Tvro, Green- 
field, Mass. If common and sweet corn are planted side 
by side, smooth grains will, as you say, be found on the 
ears of sweet corn and shriveled grains on the ears of the 
common corn. If you take the smooth grains from the 
ears of sweet corn, and plant them by themselves, the 
produce will be various—most of the grains will show 
of the character of the sweet corn, seldom being as hard 
and flinty as the original flint stock; some will, probably, 
be more or less shriveled. If the shriveled grains are 
taken from the ears of common or flint corn, and plant¬ 
ed by themselves, the crop raised will also show the in¬ 
termixture of the varieties; there will not be a strict uni¬ 
formity in the produce, some grains being almost identi¬ 
cal with the pure sweet corn, others of a medium, or 
half and half character, others scarcely deviating from 
the parent flint. But the result of the mixture can be 
worked out, in the course of several generations, so that 
it will scarcely appear, by carefully selecting for seed the 
grains which most resemble the original stocks, and plant¬ 
ing them where there can be no further amalgamation. 
By a similar course, a new hybrid variety can be pro¬ 
duced. Many varieties are known to have thus origina¬ 
ted. The Darling sweet corn may be named as an ex¬ 
ample. This was produced by a cross of the sweet with 
the early .Canada corn. The seed of the hybrid variety 
was taken from the stalks of the Canada—the object be¬ 
ing to produce a sweet corn with the habit of growth, or 
early maturity of the Canada. The shriveled grains which 
most closely resembled the sweet corn, were picked out 
of the ears of the Canada, a crop raised from them, and 
the sweetest grains again picked out of this crop, and so 
on, till after eignt years’ careful selection, the new va¬ 
riety became well established. 
Cabbage and Turners for Milch Cows. — D. B. R., 
