THE CULTIVATOR. 
117 
nothing but the bare stalks to be seen. The meadow was stocked down 
a year ago, last August or September, and a part of it with wheat, w hich 
was of very rank growth, and much stubble was left on the ground, and 
they seemed principally to have their origin in the stubble; and I noticed 
them in my old meadow, wherever mown. I was afraid they were much 
more numerous. I should have burned off the ground, but our spring 
was very dry, and winds high. This 1 have no doubt would have de¬ 
stroyed the egg. When I first discovered them, it was after a warm rain 
and'a cloudy morning—then the grass was black with them. I was care¬ 
less in not preserving some to mark their change, but a small proportion 
of them are transformed into millers, for I found many dead on the ground. 
They have done very little injury in the neighborhood. I intend sowing 
100 acres timothy and wheat this summer, and shall take the precaution 
to burn them over next spring at the risk of my farm. 
Do you know any preventive or means of destroying them? 
In haste, yours with respect, 
JOHN R. PORTER. 
My winter and spring wheat looks fine, though late. The Italian was 
sowed first May, but our frequent showers are bringing out the heads 
finely. 
Dear Sir— Permit me to ask your Dutchess county correspondent to 
review his article in the June number of the Cultivator, upon the subject 
—“More profitable to feed hay than to sell it.” There is something in 
his statement which, to me, appears quite inexplicable. If we substitute 
/oads for tons, bushels, and dollars worth of straw, it will be very nearly 
as follows:— 
15 tons of hay make as many loads—but say. 20 loads. 
325 bushels mangold wurtzel and rutabaga,allowing 25 bushels 
to the load,. 13 loads. 
14 tons cotton seed oil cake,. 2 loads. 
30 dollars worth of oat straw, when hay sells at $20 a ton, can¬ 
not be more than...30 loads. 
Amounting in all to...65 loads. 
Now if your correspondent made, from this amount of food, “ 200 ox¬ 
cart loads of stable dung, well heaped,” it is the greatest augmentation of 
matter, I have heard of since.the time of miracles; when “twelve bas¬ 
kets full of fragments were taken up,” after a few loaves and fishes had 
filled a great multitude. 
It is presumed the writer of the article in question will not pretend that 
the transmutation of food into dung, by animal functions, will either add 
to its weight, > r increase it in volume. The query is, by what mighty 
magic did Mr. J. effect this wonderful increase? I ask for information. 
Otsego county, July, 1837. NATHAN. 
DUTTON CORN, &c. 
Selin’s Grove, Aug. 15, 1837. 
J. Buf.l, Esq.—I am much pleased with the appearance of the Dutton 
corn. I have it planted on four farms, along with other corn. It is now 
in full ear, whilst that which is planted along side is not by two or three 
weeks so far advanced. On the farms its growth is quite dwarfish, com¬ 
pared with our other corn; but I have a lot of about one and a half acres, 
near my house, planted with Dutton, which stands full seven feet, if not 
more, full'of fine ears, a majority of which have not 12, but from 14 to 
16 rows of grain. Much of it is now too hard to boil. 
The small sample of oats [Barley oats,] you had the goodness to send 
me, I drilled in my garden, and have cut it. I like it very much, and 
think it will be a great acquisition. 
My spring wheat [Italian] did much better than I had reason to expect. 
I did not get it in time to sow before the 1st May. It was much injured by 
mildew. We cut it on the I4th inst. and we have estimated the yield at 
20 bushels. This from one bushel of seed. 
Very respectfully yours, H. W. SNYDER. 
CORN BREAD— HOMMINY, &c. 
Lake County, la. 2 d August, 1837. 
Judge Buel,— Dear Sir:—Permit an experiened HoQsier to add to 
your “Corn Bread” receipt. There are two reasons why southern or 
western corn bread is so “ grateful to the taste.” Let eastern lovers of 
corn bread adopt these two maxims: 
1st. Never grind the corn fine, or sift it through a fine seive—no mat¬ 
ter how coarse the meal, if the hull is removed. 
2d. The hotter the spider or bake oven, so that it will not burn the 
dough immediately, the softer and sweeter will be the bread. The lid 
may be put on red hot, and when it begins to scorch, remove it a minute 
or two. The great secret being to form a slight crust all over the cake 
instantly. 
The rolls dese.rided by your Tennessee correspondent, are called all 
over the west “ dodgers;” the raised loaves “pones.” 
The word “ homminy,” I think, is but little known at the east. It is a 
western word, and a western dish. The receipt does not convey a suf¬ 
ficient knowledge to the uninitiated. It is simply “ hulled corn,” of which 
you used to be so fond, when a boy, “ I guess.” The Yankee mode is 
hulling by lye, and then boiling and eating directly, or at any late before 
it sours. The western mode is hulling by pounding, as described, in a 
“ homminy mortar,” the music of forty of which I have heard from as ma¬ 
ny negro kitchens at one time, of a still evening, on the banks of the Ohio 
river. The process is tedious, but produces an excellenf article of food; 
a good substitute for rice. Sound white corn should be selected. The 
pounding breaks the kernel somewhat, and dries it. It is then put away 
in a bag or barrel, and will keep as long as rice. It is not so useful, how¬ 
ever, among the universal potato eating nation as it is at the south, where 
it often happens that families do not raise ten bushels of potatoes in ten 
years. “Hog and homminy,” “ corn bread and common doings,” con¬ 
stitute their living, except an occasional meal of unraised hot “ wheat 
cakes and chicken fixings.” 
Homminy is a very pleasant, light food, which, though quite nourishing 
may be eaten by the dispeptic with impunity. Your receipt for the cook¬ 
ing is perfect. 
I do not write for the sake of having it published, you will use it as you 
think proper, without giving any offence to, A FRIEND. 
EXTRACTS. 
ADDRESS OF JAMES McNAUGHTON, M. D. 
Delivered before the J\T. Y. State Agricultural Society, Feb. 10, 1S37. 
Gentlemen:—I regret that some person more competent than myself 
could not be prevailed upon to address you on the present occasion. 1 
must crave your indulgence in advance, for any imperfections you may 
observe in the matter or manner of my discourse, as the call upon me to 
address you has been unexpected, and I have had but a short time for pre¬ 
paration, amidst the numerous interruptions incident to my profession. It 
might be supposed that a farmer would be the most suitable person to ad¬ 
dress a society instituted for the purpose of promoting agriculture, and 
other branches of rural economy. I'here cannot be a doubt that the re¬ 
marks of a practical farmer would have more weight and authority, than 
those of a person who merely professes a love of rural occupations, and has 
paid attention to them, rather as matters of relaxation and amusement, 
than as the serious business oflrfe. 
Those most conversant with the history of agriculture, will, however, 
recollect, that many of the greatest improvements made within the last 
half century in that department of human industry, have emanated from 
professional men, and from gentlemen who never held a plough, or labor¬ 
ed in the field. 
Although myself very little of a practical farmer, yet I have had oppor¬ 
tunities of witnessing a good deal of farming operations, as carried on in 
this country, and in some of the most improved countries of Europe; I 
therefore hope that some of my remarks may be deemed worthy of the 
notice of the society. This society was instituted- for the purpose of car¬ 
rying into more general practice such improvements relating to rural af¬ 
fairs as are calculated to elevate the character of the farmer, to render the 
noble business of cultivating the soil more profitable, and to promote the 
general prosperity of the state. The field of our exertions is not limited 
to mere agriculture, or the cultivation of the soil, but embraces likewise 
every thing relating to rural economy. 
In the remarks which follow, I shall avail myself of this latitude, and 
trust the society will pardon me if I appear to digress too much from what 
may be considered the special object of our association. 
Agriculture may be regarded as the parent of arts, commerce and ma¬ 
nufactures, and the great source of the prosperity of nations. Its history 
dates almost from the creation of man. In the state of innocence, in the 
garden of Eden, it is probable that the earth spontaneously yielded all that 
was necessary for its inhabitants. But immediately after the fall of our 
first parents, Holy Writ informs us, that Adam was expelled from the gar¬ 
den, -‘to till the ground from whence he was taken.” Consequently, 
agriculture ranks first among the arts, not only in importance, but in seni¬ 
ority. Of the immediate descendants of Adam, the first born was a “ til¬ 
ler of the ground,” and his brother Abel “ a keeper of sheep.” Here, 
then, we have, at the very origin of our race, the agricultural and pastoral 
life commencing simultaneously, although it has been a favorite specula¬ 
tion with philosophers, to designate three progressive stages of society. 
The first, that in which man is supported by the spontaneous productions 
of the soil, by hunting and by fishing—the second, the pastoral—and the 
last, the agricultural stage. Such does not seem to have been the pro¬ 
gress of society before the flood, whatever may have been the case since 
that period. No distinct mention is made of hunting before the time of 
Nimrod, who is described as “a mighty hunter.” 
Immediately after the flood, it is probable that the human family had re¬ 
course to agriculture and fishing for their support; for it is fair to presume 
that the beasts of the field, fit for the food of man, were as yet too few to 
be used for that purpose;—and that therefore they were allowed to multi¬ 
ply for some time without molestation. Warrant was granted to Noah to 
eat every moving thing that had life—“ Every moving tiling that liveth 
