THE CULTIVATOR. 
168 
It is extensively cultivated in the south of Europe, a warmer climate 
than that of Doe Run ; it is almost exclusively grown in Lower Cana¬ 
da, and is the principal wheat grown in the northern part of New-York, 
in Vermont, &c. Its culture is extended as the country becomes more 
cleared, and exposed to the inclemency of winter. 
3. It will grow on all wheat soils; but on clay, if rich, better than 
on light sand: and better on a moist soil than on a dry one. 
4. Spring wheat should be sown upon well prepared ground, as ear¬ 
ly as the season will admit, and escape the severe frosts of spring; and 
should have a peck more of seed to the acre than would be required for 
autumn sowing. 
5. We have had several inquiries for seed of the Florence wheat; 
and we have made inquiries for it at Rome, hitherto without success. 
The answer is, that there is grain enough, but that it is too foul to vend 
for seed—a poor compliment to the farmers of Rome. We however, 
hope to see some in market in the spring. Other kinds, however, of 
spring wheat may probably be obtained from G. C. Thcrburn, seeds¬ 
man New-York,or of Joseph Beck &Co. seedmen, Boston, before the 
navigation of the Hudson is open. The price will be from $2.50 to $3 
per bushel. 
QUERIES BY W. W. BOSTWICK-AND ANSWERS. 
1. Do you find the Flemish pears all adapted to our climate ? An¬ 
swer. —They appear to be as hardy as our old varieties.' : 
2. Do they answer, in the character of their fruit here, the high ex¬ 
pectations formed of them. Ans. —But comparatively few of them 
have yet fruited here sufficiently to enable us to speak with a confidence. 
Some have proved to be first quality—and some of only second or third 
quality. These new varieties are particularly esteemed as furnishing 
asuccession of table fruit, for summer, autumn, winter and spring, 
which the old varieties did not afford. 
3. Is the white thorn a gopd stock to engraft the pear on ? Ans .—It 
is not. The graft overgrows the stock, is too dwarfish and short lived. 
Our native thorn is as good as the white thorn, though neither serve 
so well for dwarfs as the quince, and that at best is short lived. The 
breaking varieties of the pear should not be put on either; the flesh of 
the butter pears (beurres) is rendered more solid by working them on 
quince stocks. Dwarf trees on the quince, generally bear earlier, and 
more abundantly, than when on pear stocks. 
4. Does the apple, either the common or native crab, answer fora 
stock to engraft the pear on? Ans. —It does not answer. 
5. Would a warm dry, gravelly soil, with a north western exposure, 
be a good soil and aspect for the pear? Ans. —The first would depend 
upon the quality of the gravel—it should be somewhat argillaceous,'and 
we think calcareous, to suit the pear. We do not think the aspect of 
much moment at Hammondsport, otherwise than as it may influence 
the maturing of the fruit. 
6. Have you most of the Flemish pears in your collection—and have 
they borne? Ans. —We have most of the best varieties. We have 
been in the habit of receiving them annually—and last spring imported 
5000 plants, of select varieties, new and old, from London. Trees sel¬ 
dom bear fruit in museums. 
The cultivation of the pear, on soils adapted to its growth, and where 
the fruit can be sent to market, would, after a few years, be a most 
profitable business. Good fruit always commands a high price; the 
trees are long lived, and yield generally a heavy burthen. , The verga- 
leu ordinarily sells at $2.50 to tf>3 per bushel, has been as high as $17 
the bbl; and the winter and spring table fruit would probably sell as 
high, were it in market. 
■ Bones. —David Foote, of Westchester, asks the price of grinding 
bones for manure, a description of the machine for grinding them, and 
what they are worth when ground. The only bone mills in the United 
States are in the neigborhood of New-York. We have not seen and 
cannot well describe them. We have had many loads crushed in a 
plaster mill, and paid for this one shilling a bushel. The price of bone 
dust in Great Britain is 2s. 6d. and sometimes 3s. 6d. sterling per bush¬ 
el. At Long Island we believe they are somewhat cheaper. Mr. 
Foote recommends a slope in stable floors, of | of an inch to the foot, 
inclining from the manger. 
CATTLE AND SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 
Opinions of eminent Breeders, Graziers, 8,-c. collected and condensed for 
the Cultivator. 
“ Fattening cattle for beef, is well known to be performed, by graz¬ 
ing them at liberty in the pastures, and stall-feeding them at home. 
The latter is most commonly practised, in the winter season, but it is 
equally practicable and beneficial in summer: and the universal ne¬ 
glect of so certain a mean for the acquisition of so great and uncommon 
profit, must go to the account of our indolence, or our unaccountable 
prejudices. The success of fattening oxen by mowing the green meat 
(grass) of whatever kind, during the summer, has been often and fully 
ascertained. The meadows and pastures are thus preserved, and may 
be manured to infinitely greater purpose, by the saving made of dung 
and urine, and their superior condition and quality; and the herbage 
itself, secured from the tread of cattle, will go nearly twice as far, and 
(these important hints cannot be too often repeated,) the cattle may be 
kept secure, and quiet in the shade, free from every annoyance. Upon 
farms destitute of the great convenience of ox houses or yards, light 
sheds run up in temporary enclosures, near to the grass intended to be 
cut, will prove entirely sufficient. The cattle will fill themselves, lie 
down quietly to ruminate, and under the same circumstances, will im¬ 
prove much more quickly than if they had the liberty to graze. Nor 
does here lie any objection as in the case of milch cows. It will ap¬ 
pear in experimental calculation, that the extra expense of cutting, 
carry and attendance, is most amply repaid; in fact, that a very consi¬ 
derable additional profit is realized.”— Lawrence oh Cattle. 
Feeding. All cattle should be maintained in a progressive state of 
improvement; for if they remain stationary, there is a loss of interest 
of money and of time; if they go backward, there is a positive loss of 
property, with the additional prospective disadvantage of injury to the 
animals, of delay, and of difficulty in regaining their former plight. 
Should this irregularity be repeated, it is probable, the far greater 
share of the expected profit of grazing, will be found; on a fair calcula¬ 
tion, to be sunk. Duly apportioning the stock to the quantity of food, 
and regular feeding, are the life and soul of cattle keeping. Ofttimes 
you will see store pigs running about a man’s yard, which are, alternate¬ 
ly in high condition, and as thin as greyhounds. He ought to recollect, 
that whenever he suffers them to lose flesh, he has thrown away the 
greater part of that provision which was the cause of their improve¬ 
ment. 
The golden rule respecting quantity, is, as much as a beast can eat 
with a vigorous appetite ; all beyond that important criterion, is so much 
lost to the proprietor, and not improbably an impediment to thrift in the 
animal. Here is the foundation of a good argument in favor of the re¬ 
moval of that which the animal leaves, that it may riot remain to be 
contaminated by his breath, to disgust him, and to pall his appetite.— 
lb. 
“Cattle well summered are half wintered.” So says Lisle. And 
Lawrence adds, 1 ‘ cattle well wintered are half summered.” 
Cattle left out late in the fall, should be foddered early in the morn¬ 
ing, and not compelled to eat grass with the hoar frost upon it, which 
indeed they dislike.— Lisle. —This caution is of particular importance 
in the north, where vast numbers of cattle and sheep perish annually 
from disorders occasioned by receiving congealed water into their sto¬ 
machs.— Lawrence. 
When a beast is fat, he will show himself so to the eye, by a roll of 
fat as big as one’s fist, which, when he walks, moves itself forward, 
before his shoulder; such a roll of fat may likewise be seen in his 
flanks.— Virgil. 
Cow to be dried within two months of her calving, as, to milk her 
longer, most certainly impoverishes both cow and calf, to a far greater 
amount than the value of the milk. All young animals, well kept, are 
the better for it ever after; heifers come to the pail earlier for it, and 
bullocks fatten earlier.— Lisle. 
The first calf of an heifer best for rearing; the reason alleged, that 
the cow could not be reduced by milk during gestation. Late fallen 
calves, in May and June, never so hardy when grown up, or bear the 
winters so well, as those dropped in March; the chief reason of this is, 
because late fallen calves must be weaned late, and as they always 
pitch, or fall away a little on weaning, the approach of winter prevents 
their recovery; and nothing afterwards makes amends.— Lisle. 
Fir branches. “ I was so pinched last spring for provender to cattle, 
that I had not a stone of straw or hay from the midfile of March; no¬ 
thing but whins and oats for horses, and fir tops (that is, tender shoots 
of firs) for cattle; and I had 430 horned cattle, and about 120 horses, 
small and great, of which I lost but four or five; but there were num¬ 
bers of cattle that died in this country for want. Some lost one-half, 
and some almost the whole. As many branches’were lopped off as 
would suffice for a day. Lord Townsend applied plantation thinnings 
(boughs and leaves of trees) to like purpose, and with equal success. 
Some of the sheep which scoured, were recovered by the use of the 
trimmings and the bark. Sheep, cows and bullocks eat the leaves and 
small twigs. They prefer the trees in the following order,—ash, Scotch 
fir, oak.”— Annals of Ag. v. v. There is no doubt but cattle will sub¬ 
sist upon browse, and that evergreens are particularly congenial to the 
wants of sheep in the winter. 
Stall-feeding cows in surtimer. John Collet, in a communication to 
the British Board of Agriculture, states that he stall-fed 30 cows, 1 
bull, 4 calves and 5 horses, in the summer, from 15 acres of clover, sown 
the preceding year. Two men and two maids sufficed to tend them. 
The nett produce of the season, in butter, from June to October, was 
j£19 10s. each cow (nearly 90 dollars.) 
The breeds and crosses placed in rotation, according to the quantity of 
food they eat: —1. Holderness; 2. Devon and Holderness cross; 3. Long 
horns; 4. Devon and Long horns; 5. Devonshire; 6. Devon and Al¬ 
derney cross; 7. Alderney. 
The Devon and Holderness crossed, produce a valuable stock, (very 
