32 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
succeeding crop is better than after mangel wurtzel; and that cattle 
feed best on Swedish turiiips when they are fed alone.” 
Andj we add. tha.t with us they may be grown as a second crop after 
clover. 
It should be borne in mind, that the price of labor itt Britairf is much 
less than with us; that the mangel wurtzel crop requires great labor, 
in May and June, before the seed of the Swedish turnip is sown ; and 
that this labor, with us, is a matter of no little moment. It is proba¬ 
bly advisable that the farmer should sow the beet or turnip, or propor¬ 
tions of each, according to the quality of the soil which is to be appro¬ 
priated to them. 
We shall speak of the culture of the Swedish turnip in our next. 
Sheep Worms .—We hear that many sheep have been lost during the 
winter, by the worm in the head. This worm is believed to proceed 
from a fly, which deposites its eggs in the nostrils of the animal in the 
summer months, where it hatches, makes its way into the head, and 
often causes death. The general preventive has been the application 
of tar to the noses of sheep; but the operation requires to be often re¬ 
peated, and the common mode is attended with so much trouble that it 
is often neglected. A sheep master has suggested a mode both simple 
and effectual. It is to take a log or logs, dress them six inches broad 
upon the upper side, and bore holes, with a large auger, two or three 
inches deep, and at short intervals, the whole length; fill these With 
salt, and apply tar with a brush, as often as needed, say once a week, 
around all the holes, and give the sheep daily access to the salt. In 
this way the tar may be effectually applied, without the trouble of 
yarding and handling the sheep. 
INDIAN COEN. 
All, or nearly all, the accounts we have published of great products 
of Indian corn, agree in two particulars, viz: in not using the plough 
in the after culture, and in not earthing, or but very slightly, the hills. 
These results go to demonstrate, that the entire roots are essential to 
the vigor of the crop; and that roots, to enable them to perform their 
functions as nature designed, must be near the surface.. If the roots 
are severed with the plough, in dressing the crop, the plants are de¬ 
prived of a portion of their nourishment; and if they are buried deep 
by hilling, the plant is partially exhausted in throwing out a new set 
near the surface, where alone they-can perform all their offices. There 
is another material advantage in this mode of cultivating the corn crop 
—it saves a vast deal of manual labor. See the communication of Mr. 
Tomlinson, in to-day’s paper. 
There is another question of interest to farmers, which relates to 
the mode of harvesting the crop, that is, whether it is best to top the 
stocks, cut the whole at the ground when the grain is glazed, or cut 
the whole when the grain has fully ripened. We have stated the ex¬ 
periments of Mr. Clark, of Northampton, one of the best practical 
farmers of our country, and of other gentlemen, showing, that the 
grain suffers a diminution of six or eight bushels the acre, by topping 
the stocks; and there seems to be no counterbalancing benefit in the" 
fodder, unless at the expense of carrying the stocks to the borders of 
the field, that they may be secured before the crop is gathered, and 
before they become blanched and half ruined. And it is no protection 
against early autumnal frosts, but rather exposes unripened grain to 
be more injured. Hence so far as regards these two modes, all who 
have made a comparison, seem to concur in the opinion, that stripping 
the corn of its tops and leaves, is a bad practice. William Carmi¬ 
chael, of Virginia, has given us in the Farmer’s Register, his experi¬ 
ments in this matter, which go to coroborate the conclusion we have 
drawn. He took, promiscuously 100 cars from corn that had been 
topped, and 100 ears from that which had not 'been topped, growing 
side by side. The first weighed, 
on the cob, 50 lbs. shelled, 41 lbs. and measured 21 qts. 1 pt. 
The other “ 54 f “ 46 “ “ • 26 “ 
Showing a difference of nearly one-fifth in favor of the unstripped or 
untopped corn. The fact is, that topping not only prevents the further 
elaboration of the sap, which can only take place in the leaves, and 
which is necessary for the growth ofthe corn, but it deprives the grain 
of much that is already elaborated, and on its way to the grain. If a 
fruit tree is deprived of its leaves, before the fruit has attained its 
growth, or mature flavor, the fruit will no longer grow, nor will it at¬ 
tain high flavor, for its supply of elaborated food, or f egetable blood, 
is cut off by the loss of leaves. We have noticed- this particularly in 
the plum. 
Satisfactory experiments have not been made to determine, whether 
it is most advantageous to cut the crop when the grain is merely glaz¬ 
ed, or to wait till it is perfectly ripe. This will depend upon the 
amount of loss, if any, in the grain, by early harvesting,—the rela¬ 
tive value of the grain and fodder, and the prospect of both being in¬ 
jured by early frosts—for neither are liable to suffer from frost after 
the crop has been cut and put into shooks. It is to be noticed, that in 
early cutting, the stalks are shcculent, and abound, in elaborated sap,. 
on its descent from the leaves to the grain, ahd that this supply of food 
to the grain cohlinueS to flow probably for some days after the corn is 
in shook, and if so, the grain itself continues to improve, though we 
think it likely that the crop undergoes some trifling diminution. Bdt 
if frost is likely to intervene before the complete maturity of the crop, 
there is no doubt but the Corn will suffer less in shook than it will 
standing, while the fodder will be materially injared by frost. Admit, 
ting that there is a small loss in grain by early cutting, though it is 
undoubtedly less than when it is topped, the difference in the value of 
the fodder, under the two modes of management, is Vastly in favor of 
early harvesting. We do not pretend to calculate to a nicety, the dif¬ 
ference in nutritious properties, of corn stalks cut in a succulent state, 
early in September, well cured and well housed, and those left stand¬ 
ing till October or November in the field, but we should think it fifty 
percent, Well cured cornstalks afford an excellent winter food for 
neat cattle; and when fodder is likely to be in demand, they may be 
made to contribute largely to the profits of the farm. Several of our 
acquaintance have kept their neat stock almost entirely upon this fod¬ 
der during the past winter, and we have done the like, having first 
cut ours in a cutting machine; and so far as we can learn, the cattle 
"kept upon them are in excellent condition. 
The preceding considerations justify us in recommending, that in the 
management of the Indian corn crop, the following rules be observed, 
at least partially, so far as to test their correctness : 
1. That the corn harrow and cultivator be substituted for the plough 
in the culture of the crop. 
'2. That the plants be not hilled, or but slightly so—this not to pre¬ 
vent the soil being often stirred and kept clean. And, 
3. That in harvesting, the crop be cut at the ground as soon as the 
grain is glazed. - 
THE POTATO. 
There is hardly any crop about the management of which a greater 
diversity of opinions exist than this—whether we regard soil, seed or 
mode of planting and culture. The British Board of Agriculture, with 
a view to ascertain the best mode of managing the potato crop, ad¬ 
dressed a number of queries to the principal farmers in the kingdom, 
calculated to elicit the facts necessary to determine this point. The 
circular and the answers were published in a large quarto volume, to¬ 
gether with the report of the committee charged with the arrange¬ 
ment and publication of the facts. The statements are so variant, that 
the committee were unable to recommend any particular practice, as 
that which was most successful in one case, proved defective in other 
cases. The only important fact settled by the inquiry, was, that po¬ 
tatoes differed very materially, in some cases fifty per cent, in their 
nutritive properties, a consideration as material for the stall as for the 
table. Since the date of that publication, however, very nice experi¬ 
ments have been made in Great Britain, particularly in Scotland, and 
by Mr. Knight, and also in the United States. From these we draw 
the following conclusions: 
1. That in this latitude the potato is better, both as to product and 
flavor, when grown on a moist and cool, than when grown on a warm 
and dry soil—better on a moderately loose and friable, than on a hard 
compact soil. 
2. That they do "better on a grass ley than on stubble—and better 
with long or unfermented manure, than with short muck. 
3. That medium sized whole tubers give a better crop than sets or 
very large tubers. 
4. That drills or rows should be adapted to the growth of the tops, 
and the condition of the soil—the small growing tops nearer, and those 
having larger tops farther apart—so that the sun may not be excluded 
from the intervals; and where the soil is stiff, or the sod tough, hills 
are considered preferable to drills. 
5. That if the ground is well prepared, and the seed well covered, 
they are not benefited by heavy earthing; and that ploughing among 
them, or earthing them, after they come in bloom, is prejudicial. 
6 . That the kinds best for the table, are also best for farm stock, 
containing a larger portion of nutriment than inferior kinds. 
While upon this subject, we will mention, that our friend Capt. Joab 
Centre, who has some time ago left ploughing of the deep for plough¬ 
ing of the glebe, has invented a potato plough, which is said greatly 
to facilitate the gathering of the crop. As soon as we become satisfied 
of its utility from our personal knowledge, we intend to give a cut and 
description of it. __ ' i'- 
THE GARDEN. 
Those of our fair readers, as well as others who design to cultivate 
flowers, should have their grounds put in order to sow their seeds.— 
Hardy perennials and biennials, as the larkspurs and hollyhocks, of 
which there are several beautiful sorts, vallerians, perennial poppies, 
pinks, penstemmons, coreopsis, &c. and many of the hardy annuals, 
as astors, marygolds, balsams, petunia, coxcombs, amaranthus, &c. 
