THE CULTIVATOR. 
15 
and asses laden with the limbs of which, may be every instant seen 
going to the city. These trees are planted in rows, not more than 
two or three feet apart, and are cut so low, that a man can reach 
the topmost limbs, which are all cut off every year as the worms re¬ 
quire them.” 
The Turks have set us an example worthy of imitation. If the 
farmers in the neighborhood of our cities and villages would plant 
out mulberry trees, and supply the markets with the foliage daily; 
what is to hinder a vast many families from rearing the worm ? I 
venture the assertion, that if families in moderate circumstances in 
the city of Albany alone, could be thus supplied, silk to the amount 
of one million of dollars might be produced annually. In this calcu¬ 
lation I include, as a domestic employment, the reeling of the silk 
from the cocoons also. This process has been considered one re¬ 
quiring long practical instruction. The art of reeling a thread of 
equal size throughout, upon the reels •in use in Italy and France, 
may and probably does require very considerable experience; but 
American ingenuity has taught us better. Brooks’ reel, lately ex¬ 
hibited in this city, is believed to be a great improvement on any 
foreign reel, and it was made evident that the art of reeling on that 
reel is of very easy acquisition, whilst the work is admirably per¬ 
formed. What superadded comforts the families of our cities and villa¬ 
ges might enjoy, if we would learn to follow the example of the in¬ 
habitants of Broussa! ! The farmers in the vicinity of our cities, 
would be amply compensated for all their expense and trouble in the 
sale of the leaves of the mulberry. 
The Turkish method of planting their trees is excellent. The 
mulberry should be kept headed down—never suffered to grow 
higher than six feet, and the lateral branches pruned. In my opi¬ 
nion, their trees are set too close together; they should have suffi¬ 
cient air and sun, and five or six feet apart would give them both. 
Mr. Finnelli observed to me, that there should never be more 
than one crop of worms raised in one season; that plucking the 
leaves more than once in the same season was injurious to the trees, 
as they required new foliage to repair the injury of the first plucking; 
and that in Lombardy this was an established principle. 
If, in any part of this communication, I have said any thing which 
may affect the interest of those who are propagating the morus mul- 
ticaulis for sale, I regret the necessity which has imposed it on me as 
a duty, to promulgate what I believe to be both material and true. 
Yours, &c. A. SPENCER. 
DUTTON CORN. 
Northampton, January 18th, 1837. 
Judge Buel—Dear Sir —The following is the method of culture, 
and result of the seed corn purchased of you last autumn, which, if 
you think proper, you are at liberty to give a place in the Cultivator. 
The variety is the twelve rowed early Dutton, or Buel corn, and is the 
best with which I am acquainted, particularly for latitudes north of 
40°, on account of its early maturity, which is, I should say, two weeks 
earlier than the common or eight rowed kind. Out of several acres 
of the latter, planted the last season, I had not a bushel of sound 
corn, it being destroyed by the early frosts, while the Dutton was 
ripened and harvested on the 20th September, and did not give more 
than two per cent of soft corn. In the preparation of, the method 
of culture, &c. I pursued the course frequently recommended by you; 
but was, through the whole process, exceedingly annoyed in contend¬ 
ing with old prejudices and practices of laborers and others, who often 
rebelled, and were disposed to place themselves conservators over me, 
in spite of all resistance on my part. If their prophecies were to prove 
true, my corn would have been seven times blasted. Grave doubts 
were expressed as to the advantage of the roller, and in the prepa¬ 
ration of the seed, (see Cultivator, vol. I. page 37,) “ whoever heard 
of rolling corn in hot tar? It will be scalded, ruined, and never come 
up.” It all came up, however, and why? Because, being of the 
early variety, it was well ripened the preceding backward season, 
the reverse of which was much complained of in the common kind. 
Then, again, “it was too thick—depend upon it, sir, when you come 
to look for ears, you will find nothing but stalks; two feet and a half! 
four stalks in a hill! it is entirely too much—it will cover the ground 
and you will get nothing.” As to smooth hoeing, or without hills, it 
was a thing they had “ strong doubts about.” The cultivator, how¬ 
ever, was allowed to be “ a grand thing,” and clean weeding pre¬ 
sented no objections; here of course was a long respite, and I was 
allowed quietly to enjoy the pleasant anticipation of a good crop. It 
so happened that my corn was not hid in a corner, but grew in an 
open field, was subject to the daily inspection of many a passer by, 
and 1 was much gratified by the frequent remark, “what a fine 
piece of corn !” But when the harvesting came, the objector says, 
“you have done wrong in cutting it up, it is better to top it,” and 
again, “you are entirely too early, it will not harden.” The fact 
is, however, it got thoroughly hard, and brighter or better corn I 
never saw; it was cut the 20th September, husked and weighed the 
10th November. The piece of ground measured one acre and five 
and a half rods, and yielded eight thousand seven hundred and ele¬ 
ven and a half pounds, (which, at 75 lbs. the bushel, allowed by the 
agricultural society,) gave one hundred twelve and a half bushels to 
the acre; also, four heavy two horse loads of well cured corn stalks, 
worth more than a ton of the best hay. 
PREPARATION OF THE GROUND, MANURE, &C. 
I have a fine lot, containing six acres, lying east, and in full view 
from my house, slightly undulating and gently sloping, on which two 
or three years ago, I commenced farming in miniature, on the rota¬ 
tion system, that I might judge of the comparative profit of good 
systematic culture, (by some laughed at as book knowledge,) com¬ 
pared with a slovenly and parsimonious habit, too often persevered 
in, and I am so far much pleased with the result; it speaks loud in 
favor of good husbandry. I am well satisfied, too, that you must 
feed your land if you would be fed yourself. This lot has for many 
years, (fifty or more, for aught I know,) been undisturbed by the 
plough, from the erroneous opinion that good grass land should re¬ 
main for the scythe only. The soil is mostly a warm sandy loam ; 
some part of it, however, is low and wet; this I have overcome by 
thorough draining. (On this subject I may hereafter have something 
to say.) ' 
I prepared by deep ploughing last fall, a part of the above lot, 
carted and sprea'd upon it the 10th of May, 38 loads of long unferment¬ 
ed stable dung, to the acre, making five heaps to the load, dropped 
at five yards distance each way; this, after being carefully spread, 
was passed over with a heavy roller, and afterwards well harrowed, 
planted the 15th of May, and ashed as it made its appearance above 
ground. 
ESTIMATE OF EXPENSES, &C. 
Dr. —To ploughing with two yoke of cattle, 1J days, at $3,.. $4 50 
Rolling and harrowing 1| days, single team, at $2,.. 3 00 
Seed corn,.. l 00 
Preparing seed corn with tar, &c. 25 
Planting, two days, at $1,. 2 00 
Three hoeings, two days each, at $1,. 6 00 
Horse and man 1| days, with cultivator, at $1.50,. 2 25 
Cutting and binding two days, at $1,. 2 00 
Picking and husking 7 days, at $1,. 7 00 
38 loads manure, at $1,.$38 00 
Carting and spreading, at 25 cents,. 9 50 
Deduct two-thirds for the succeeding crops 
in the rotation,.. 31 61 
-- 15 89 
20 bushels ashes, at 12£ cents,. 2 50 
Spreading 1 day, at $1,. 1 00 
Interest on land, valued at $150,. 9 00 
$56 39 
Cr. —By 621 bushels corn, at $1.50,.$93 75 
50 do. seed do. at $2,. 100 00 
2 do. soft do. at 50 cents,. 1 00 
4 loads stalks,. 15 00 
$209 75 
Deduct expenses,. 56 39 
Profit,.$153 36 
I have not had experience enough to know which is the most pre¬ 
ferable, to plough old sward land in the fall, and spread the manure 
on the surface the following spring, or to spread the manure in the 
spring before ploughing, and then turn it in. I think much may de¬ 
pend on the season, in the first practice; if the season should be dry, 
may not a good deal be dissipated by the winds ? and again, if it 
should be wet, may not the roots reap a greater advantage, than i f 
