8 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
an hour, and sometimes much more. The syrup is afterwards refined 
by animal charcoal and the whites of eggs, and filtered through a coarse 
thick, rough cloth. Moulds of tin or other material are prepared, of 
any size, of a conical shape, like the form of a sugar loaf, with a stop¬ 
per in the small or lower end. When sufficiently reduced, the syrup is 
turned into them; as soon as granulation has began on the surface and 
sides, the crust is broken with a spatula, and the whole stirred well; 
after which it is left alone. After this the process of whitening or clay¬ 
ing is thus managed: The clay is first thoroughly washed, till it re¬ 
quires such a degree of consistency as not to flow when placed upon a 
smooth and slightly inclined board. It is then thrown on to the sugar 
in the moulds. The moisture penetrates the loaves, deprives the su¬ 
gar of its colour, and passes out at the point of the mould, which 
would now be unstopped. The clay, deprived ©f its water,shrinks and 
dries, and is removed. A second, and sometimes a third application of 
day is made, before the sugar attains the desired whiteness. 
Hot Beds. —The season for preparing these, in this latitude, is from 
the 20th to the last of March, for early cabbage, and salladings—and 
earlier as we progress south. Cucumber frames may also be prepar¬ 
ed by those who wish them early, or who employ a professional gar¬ 
dener. For tender plants, which it is desirable to have early for the 
table, or for ornament, and which are to be grown in the open ground, 
as peppers, celery, tomatos, egg-plants, okra, melons,—or balsams, as- 
tors, coxcombs, xeranthemums, marygolds, &c. in the floral deparment, 
the sowing in frame may be omitted till the 10th or 15th April. Dahlias 
and tuberoses may be planted in pots of earth, and kept in the dwell¬ 
ing where the sun will come upon them, or placed under a frame, to 
expedite their growth and flowering ; and previous to being transplant¬ 
ed into the open ground the last of May, the former may be divided so 
as to leave one sprout to each plant—one being better than many.— 
The Dahlia is almost as tenacious of life as the potato, and may be 
propagated by sprouts—started early in pots, they frequently come in¬ 
to flower in June, and continue in bloom till the autumnal frosts.— 
When planted out, they should have a stake driven by the side of them, 
to which they may be tied as they progress in growlh. Six feet is a 
proper interval to be left between them. [For directions how to make 
hot-beds, see p. 8, vol. 2.] 
Gypsum. —If Sir Humphrey Davy and others are right, in supposing 
that plaster of Paris constitutes a specific food for some plants, and 
that it requires four or five hundred parts of water to render it soluble, 
so that it may be taken up by their absorbent vessels—and we are in¬ 
clined to believe they are right—plaster ought to be sown on grass 
grounds in March, so that the vernal rains may carry it into the soil, 
where there is constant moisture to decompose it, and where the roots, 
the mouths of plants, are waiting to receive it. There is much doubt 
among farmers, as to the manner in which this mineral benefits farm 
crops, and whether it benefits only a few ard which these are. It is ge¬ 
nerally conceded, that upon porous and dry soils, it does benefit clovers, 
corn, potatoes, peas, and generally all plants having broad and succu¬ 
lent leaves. But it is a matter of doubt, at least in our minds, whether 
its application is directly beneficial to timothy, wheat, rye, or barley. 
Now is the time for every farmer to satisfy himself upon these points. 
Let him sow a strip of his grass in March, another strip in April, and 
another in May, with gypsum, and note the difference, if any. Let 
him sow a strip of his wheat, his rye, his timothy, and his barley, leav¬ 
ing adjoining parts unplastered. The results cannot fail to instruct 
him in its operation and its use. Facts thus established by repeated 
observation, become science, and are useful to the world ; and although 
the term may be contemned by the ignorant farmer, it constitutes the 
basis of all improvements in the arts of civilization and refinement. 
Any experiments made in pursuance of these suggestions, will be grate¬ 
fully received and recorded. 
THE FARMER. 
“ Respect thyself,” is the first step towards commanding the respect 
of others. This maxim does not receive the regard which is entitled to 
among our northern farmers, either individually or collectively. There 
is no class in society who have at command more of the elements of 
public usefulness, of unshackled independence, and of true greatness, 
than the tillers of the soil; and yet they succumb, without murmur, in 
public matters, to the control of others, and by their own acts belittle 
the noblest employment of life. In the south, the proprietor, or planter 
takes, and others concede to him, the first rank in society, because the 
soil, the fixed, abiding wealth of the country, is his, and because he 
qualifies himself, by education, to assume and sustain his just rights. 
With us the case is different. Education is too much contemned', or 
neglected. We mean that sort of education which enlarges the human 
faculties, and teaches man his rights and his duties—and which enables 
him to bring the powerful energies of his mind to co-operate with the 
physical powers of his body. We see many of our farmers seeking to 
elevate their condition, by becoming innkeepers, merchants, or public 
officers; and others,- as if ashamed of their calling, or not knowing how 
to estimate its advantages, sending their sons to learn the chicanery of 
the law, or initiating them into the mysteries of mercantile duplicity,, 
in order to make them gentlemen ! Mistaken men! There are none 
in society more truly gentlemen, than well educated exemplary farmers •; 
none so independent—-none more useful—none so honorable—none 
who so largely realize and acknowledge the bounties of providence, or 
who so efficiently contribute to the happiness of the human family. And 
it costs no more to make a gentleman practical farmer, than it does to 
make a gentleman lawyer, a gentleman merchant, or an idle good-for- 
nothing gentleman. The human mind expands more, on nature's broad 
domain, than it can in the pent-up town ; it sends abroad further the 
diffusive lights of its knowledge—it is less mercenary and selfish, and 
glows with a holier fervor of love to God and good will to man. <! God 
made the country—man the city." 
If the farmer would imitate what is truly commendable in those he 
considers the higher classes, rejecting their extravagances and follies— 
if he would improve his own mind, and educate his children in what is 
useful and accomplished, and in habits of industry and frugality—if he 
would exhibit a pattern of neat and profitable farming, multiply the 
comforts of his house and his garden, embellish his grounds, and exer¬ 
cise affection and kindness to all around him—his children would not 
wish to leave him, nor would he wish to send them to otheremploy- 
ments, to exalt them in rank, or to improve otherwise their condition in 
life. George Washington, confessedly the greatest and best man of 
our age or country, was practically a farmer, and the son of a farmer. 
ANSWER TO QUERIES. 
A. Wetherbee inquires : “ What is the best and most expeditious me¬ 
thod of clearing forests of their first growth ? 
2. “ Is it better to manufacture the ashes into potash, or to let them 
lie on the ground ? 
3. “ Should the land, after clearing, be ploughed before sowing or 
seeding, or will it be better to harrow the seed in ? 
4. “ How can new land be best brought into grass, and will the 
plough or harrow be required to stock it down ? 
We are of the opinion that Mr. Wetherbee would have obtained a 
better solution of his questions in the neighborhood of his uncleared 
grounds, or of some pioneer settlers, than we can furnish him. Never¬ 
theless we will give brief answers, which may serve till he can get bet¬ 
ter ones. Our answers are predicated on the supposition, that his is a 
dense hard-wood-forest—and that the object is not to save, except for 
fences, but to destroy, all the wood and timber. 
1. Cut down all the timber—except it is intended to leave for a lei¬ 
sure time some of the large trees—in May or June, after the foliage is 
well out, cut the buts into suitable lengths for fence or logging, and lop 
the limbs and branches. In a dry time in August, or early in Septem¬ 
ber, set fire to the fallow. The more thoroughly it burns the better 
will be the crop. Pick up and burn the brnsh, if any has escaped the 
fire, and draw off the logs for fence, or roll them into piles and burn 
them. 
2. Collect the ashes from the log heaps, and manufacture from them 
salts or potash. There will be enough remaining to benefit the crop. 
3 and 4. The land should be thoroughly harrowed with a heavy tri¬ 
angular drag, the grain and grass seed sown, and thoroughly harrowed 
in. If the land is not wanted for tillage, it should lay three or four 
years in grass, till the roots and stumps have sensibly decayed, and 
then—and not till then—break up with a strong plough, and four oxen, 
and collect and burn the roots and loose stumps. Much depends upon 
the burning. If the leaves and sticks which have accumulated on the 
surface are not pretty much burnt, they will become dry, and the seeds 
will fail to germinate for want of moisture. The fire has also a benign 
influence upon the surface soil in neutralizing or destroying salts and 
acids that are hurtful, and producing those that are alkaline and stimu¬ 
lating, and beneficial to vegetation. 
A. Wood Jun. inquires: 1. “Does the moon have any effect on our 
crops, in the time of planting or sowing?” Answer —No. 
2. “What effect does the sun have upon man or beast in passing 
through the twelve signs of the zodiac ?” Answer —None that is per¬ 
ceptible. 
Sow and plant in good season, when the soil is well prepared for the 
seed, and perform the operations upon domestic animals without refer¬ 
ence to the sign. 
Fat Sheep .—Our market, as is usual at this season, exhibits superior 
specimens of mutton, of New-Leicester, Hampshire and South Down 
breeds. Of the latter, there were several, fattened by C. N. Bement, 
exclusively on ruta baga, which attracted particular notice. The South 
Downs are celebrated for producing the best fat-lean, and well flavored 
mutton which brings the highest price in the London market. We see 
also that our friend Hallock, of Marlborough, Ulster, whose good far¬ 
ming we had occasion to commend in our December number, hhs been 
selling his Leicesters at $15 per head, and that the buyer resold them 
