THE CULTIVATOR. 
63 
gynsum, and the pasturing of sheep, may be kept in heart, and rendered 
productive. 
Scarcely any soils contain more than five per cent of humus; but if the 
staple of the land be loamy, even two per cent will render it fit for the 
production of grain. The friability of its texture is, indeed, ati object of 
the first importance, for it is a great saving of labor and expense; and if 
the ground be tolerably well managed and dunged, it can always be main¬ 
tained in good heart. 
The analysis which has been thus given of soils, extends only to the 
depth of six inches from the surface, without reference to the subsoil, 
which may greatly affect their value; for however rich soils may be, if 
that be either too porous or too retentive, they may be rendered, in cer¬ 
tain seasons, unproductive If, however, they contain a layer of nine in¬ 
ches to a foot of good earth, the subsoil may then be considered of little 
consequence; though a limestone bottom will always command a prefe¬ 
rence. The exposure, with regard to the sun, and the situation of the 
land, in respect to its shelter from cold winds, are also objects of such ex¬ 
treme importance, that they may make a difference in point of climat.e 
equal to several degrees of latitude. This should serve as a hint to those 
who commence improving new farms, or who have wood lands in reserve, 
to leave a belt of wood on the exposed quarters of their farm* or fields. 
Our readers will be able to perceive from ihe foregoing, that it is of im¬ 
portance to the farmer to be able to ascertain the composition of his soils. 
The analysis of soils may be taught in our schools, as readily as a rule in 
arithmetic—if our schoolmasters knew how to teach the process. 
GARDEN AND TURNIP HOE. 
We are indebted to the kindness of T. Collins, of Burlington, N. J. to 
whom we tender our thanks, for a set of hoes of approved model, for Ihe 
garden and for cleaning turnips. It is stated that these hoes were invent¬ 
ed about twenty years ago. by Nathan Stowell, and that they are now ex¬ 
tensively used in New-Jersey. They are truly, says our correspondent, 
a ‘•'first rate tool ”—and we fully concur in his opinion. They may be 
termed the skim draw hoe, in contradistinction to the Dutch shove hoe, 
are more easy of management, and are much better adapted to the clean¬ 
ing of garden and turnip crops than the latter. They resemble somewhat 
the turnip hoe, heretofore described and figured in the Cultivator, though 
they excel it in neatness and material The cutting part is made of a buck 
or billet saw blade, in which, while cold, the rivet holes should be punch¬ 
ed, in order to retain the temper of the steel. The angle of inclination, 
of the blade to the handle, should be about 45°. Any smith >s at liberty 
to make them. We commend them to the notice of the public. 
THE SIBERIAN CRAB APPLE, 
One of the most ornamental trees about our dwellings, whether we re¬ 
gard its foliage, its flowers, or its fruit, is becoming the prolific parent of 
new and valuable varieties of the apple. The peculiarities of the Sibe¬ 
rian crab apple tree are, hardiness, coming originally from the north of 
Asia, beauty of form and foliage, and early and abundant bearing. Knight 
employed it in most of his artificial crosses, or fecundations of the apple, 
and obtained the Foxley, Siberian Harvey, Siberian pippin, Yellow Sibe¬ 
rian, and Siberian bittersweet, fruits in high repute, in England, for cider, 
&c. as the result of the cross. J. A. Thompson, Esq. of Catskill, a great 
amateur in fruits, has obtained from seeds of the Siberian crab, fecunda¬ 
ted naturally with his orchard fruits, some dozen or fifteen new varieties, 
partaking more or less of the foreign parent, but all differing from it. They 
are of various shape, color, size and flavor; some keeping till April, some 
fine for eating, and others excellent for pieserves. We have some six or 
eight of these varieties now growing in our grounds. 
SWINE. 
The Hog is one of our most valuable domestic animals, and when well 
managed, contributes essentially to the profits of the farm. He devours, 
and turns to profit, the refuse of all eatable things. But the hog differs, 
in the return which he makes in flesh for the food he consumes, as much 
as the ox or the sheep. The great point in all is to produce the most mar¬ 
ketable flesh from a given quantity of food. A good pig is judged there¬ 
fore, by the same criterion as neat stock. “ Depth of carcass, lateral ex¬ 
tension, breadth of the loin and breast, proportional length, moderate 
shortness of the legs, and substance of the gammons and forearms, are 
considered great essentials. In proportion as the animal is capacious in 
the loin and breast, will be generally the vigor of his constitution; his less 
will be thence properly extended, and he will have a bold and firm foot¬ 
ing on the ground, to which, however, it is farther necessary, that his 
claws be upright, even and sound.” A short, handsome, sprightly head, 
with light pointed pendulous ears, are also considered good indications by 
Lawrence. The best breeds are often thick skinned and thin haired; but 
the skin is tender, gelatinous, and easy to masticate. It is an unfavorable 
indication when the head is hung down, “the mouth approaching the 
earth like a fifth leg, and when the flanks heave and are hollow.” Most 
of the approved breeds have been produced by a cross with the China 
boar. Good breeders insist that the sow should not produce pigs before 
she is ten months old, and that the male should not be used after he is five 
wars old. 
The pig is kept well in summer upon clover pasture, with the swill from 
the kitchen and dairy; and the fattening process may be completed, al¬ 
most wholly, with the apples, pumpkins, small potatoes, soft corn and bran 
of the farm, properly prepared. 
In regard to the diseases of hogs, of which a correspondent in Virginia, 
Mr. Goldsborough, asks information, we may remark, that prevention of 
disease is much easier than cure; as relief can seldom he effected after 
the animal ceases to eat. As preventives, carbonaceous matters, as char¬ 
coal, rotten wood, and even permission .to root in the earth, sulphur, anti¬ 
mony and madder, are recommended. They are subject, says Lawrence, 
to measles, blood-striking, staggers, quinsy, indigestion, catarrh, perip- 
neumony or inflammation of the lungs, called heavings. “ As aperients, 
cleansers and alteratives, sulphur, antimony and madder, are our grand 
specifics, and they are truly useful. As cordials and tonics, treacle and 
strong beer, in warm wash, and good peas orcorn meal and pollard (shorts). 
In measles, sulphur, &c. and if the patient requires it, give cordials now 
and then. In staggers, bleeding, fresh air, and perhaps nitre. In catarrh, 
a warm bed, and warm cordial wash; and the same in quinsy, or inflam¬ 
mation in the glands or throat. If external suppuration appear likely, dis¬ 
charge the matter when ripe, and dress with tar and brandy, or balsam. 
The heavings, or unsonndness of the lungs in pigs, like the unsoundness 
of the liver in lambs, is sometimes found to be hereditary; there is no re¬ 
medy. This disease in pigs is often the consequence of colds from wet 
lodgings, or of hasty feeding in a poor s’ate; in a certain stage it is highly 
inflammatory, and without remedy. Unction with train oil, and the inter¬ 
nal use of it, have been sometimes thought beneficial.”— Loudon. 
FORTY-THREE YEARS AGO. 
We continue our notices of the “ Transactions of the Society for the 
promotion of Agriculture, Arts and Manufactuies.” 
In 1793, in consequence of a request made by the society, the New- 
York Chamber of Commerce issued directions to captains sailing on fo¬ 
reign voyages, to collect and bring home, rare seeds, plants, &c. tor the 
improvement of our husbandry. 
Chancellor Livingston delivered the second address before the society, 
abounding in the good sense and patriotism which always distinguished 
that gentleman’s writings. We make some extracts from this address, for 
the benefit of the young and the middle aged—of the politician and the 
statesman. They have peculiar force at this time. 
“ How much is it to be lamented, that indolence, or pursuits of little 
moment, withdraw the attention of men, whose lights, whose talents foi 
observation, and whose fortunes enable them to be useful, not only to the 
community of which they are members, but to mankind at large; not to 
their cotemporaries only, but to future generations. One great cause of the 
neglect of agriculture in men of the character I have mentioned, is a mis¬ 
placed ambition, which generally seizes upon them at the very period of life 
at which they are best fitted for agricultural pursuits. Youth has too ma¬ 
ny avocations, and is too unsteady to pursue the slow progress of experi¬ 
ments, and the decrepitude of old age deprives it of the strength and acti¬ 
vity necessary in rural economy ; it is the season of life in which we may 
enjoy the sedate pleasures of the country, hut not undergo its toils. The 
middle age, wh^n the effervescence of youth is over —w hen the body re¬ 
tains its strength, and the mind enjoys its greatest vigor—is the period 
best adapted to the useful labois of agriculture ; but unfortunately this is 
also the age of ambition, which hurries us away from the peaceful path, 
where every step is strewed with flowers, to lose ourselves in the endless 
mazes of politics. And yet, if ambition is the love of fame, how much 
are we deceived by pursuing it in this rough and thorny track ! The lit¬ 
tle politics of our town, our county, or even of our state, are mere mat¬ 
ters of a day ; and however important they mav seem in our eyes, while 
we are ourselves the actors on this busy stage, they will appear to others 
of too little moment to arrest their attention. Our fathers were politicians, 
their fathers were politicians, and yet we hardly know the parts they seve¬ 
rally acted, or even the names or principles of the parties they opposed or 
supported. In like manner, the intriguing politicians and the wordy ora¬ 
tors of the present day, will be buried with their principles and their par¬ 
ties in eternal oblivion, when the man who has introduced a new plant, or 
eradicated a destructive weed ; who has taught us to improve our domes¬ 
tic animals, or to guard against the ravages of noxious insects ; who has 
inventec a new implement of husbandry, or simply determined the angle 
ihe mould-board should make with the plough-share, will be remembered 
with gratitude, as the benefactor of society. 
“ It is the politician’s misfortune to believe that every thing is wrong 
which he does not direct, and that the ruin or welfare of the state depends 
upon the adoption of his principles: and yet the world was governed be¬ 
fore he was born, and will be so well directed after his death, that his pre¬ 
sent political existence will hardly be remembered one week after his fu¬ 
neral. As the pursuit of fame by the road of politics requires infinitely 
more talents than falls to the share of the great bulk of mankind, and great 
epochs or extraordinary circumstanoes to call those talents into action, hut 
very few can hope for political fame, while their pursuits have a direct 
tendency to injure the finest feelings of the mind, and to add poignancy to 
the most painftil passions. 
