THE CULTIVATOR. 
133 
strong tea made of the bark of the Sweet Gum, the scientific name of 
which is “ Liquid Amber.” It grows a large tree, is a native of southern 
latitudes, grows very abundantly on the high table lands of Ohio and ln- 
diana, has a leaf like maple, and a ball somewhat like “ Button Ball, or 
Sycamore, exuding a very aromatic white gum. I know the medicine to 
be almost invaluable. 
. BOILING RICE. 
I venture to say not one in ten of the readers of the Cultivator, has 
ever heard of a receipt for so simple a piece ot cookery. There is none 
more important. Try it. If it is an improvement, recommend it. Put 
three cups of rice into two cups of cold water, set it over a brisk fire, and 
after it commences boiling, let it stand eight minutes only —his then rea¬ 
dy for the table. Instead of being a mass of unwholesome salve, it will 
have completely absorbed the water, leaving the grains separate, soft and 
excellent. 
long manure. 
I have tried the experiment this season on my garden, with most con¬ 
vincing success. Having a very retentive subsoil, I tried the plan of 
burying coarse dry straw under my beds of beets, carrots, parsnips, peas, 
beans, vines, and almost every kind of vegetable that I planted, to serve 
as an underdrain as well as manure. The effect has fully convinced one 
sceptic. I hope others will try it. This is the first time I ever saw straw 
used for manuring any crop, except potatoes. I have toiled many a day 
to rot it, so as to make it “ fit to use for the next crop.” How much 
knowledge to be gained for 50 cents a year! As a means of extending 
such valuable knowledge, I ask a consideration of 
A NEW PROPOSITION, 
to extend the circulation of the Cultivator, or some other agricultural pa¬ 
per. It is this:— 
Make it an invariable rule, that every agricultural premium, should in 
elude a copy of such paper, which should be given by the person receiv¬ 
ing the premium to some one who had never taken it—always taking it 
for granted that no one would ever get a premium unless he was a patron 
of some such paper And further, let those who are able and willing, 
raise a fund, say $500, for gratuitous distribution of the Cultivator, among 
those w ho are either unable or unwilling to pay, but who would be wil¬ 
ling to read. Let every friend to the proposition subscribe such amount 
as he will give, as soon as it is ascertained that $500 can be raised. To 
begin, although I am poorly able to do it, I will subscribe $5. I hope it 
will not stand long alone. I am respectfully yours, &c. 
SOLON ROBINSON 
[JVote —Mr. Robinson’s subscription is registered, and weshall be glad 
to see his proposition sustained. Should it be so, the names of the con 
tributors to the $500 fund will be published in the Cultivator.— Cond.] 
CHESS OR CHEAT. 
In giving the following communication, we are not desirous of renewing 
a vexatious and unprofitable controversy, nor do we intend to become 
a party in the dispute—but we give it out of complaisance to a highly 
respectable correspondent. We are free to. express our doubts, howe¬ 
ver, whether the chess discovered in the wheat ears was anything else 
than shrivelled or blasted kernels of wheat, caused by rust, or other 
disease. 
Caroline, JY Y Avgust 30, 1837. 
Dear Sir —Whether wheat ever turns to chess or cheat, has been 
for a long time, a subject of controversy. Will the certificates I enclose 
you from Mr. Rounseville, and from Mr. Randall and sons, settle this long 
contested point? Will it be said that the two seeds being sowed toge¬ 
ther has caused this mixture of seed in the same head? If so, why do 
we not find a like mixture of wheat and rye in the same head, when both 
seeds have been sowed together on the same ground? or spring wheat 
and oats? If a mixture is supposable, from seeds being sown together 
ought w’e not rather to have expected to find a grain between wheat and 
chess, and partaking of the nature of both? I leave you and your readers 
to determine this point, and conclude by assuring you that those gentle 
men are intelligent men, and as much to be relied on as any in our coun¬ 
ty. Mr. Randall’s sons are probably from 18 io 2S years of age. 
With great respect, sir, your ob’t servant, 
JOSEPH SPEED. 
Richford, JY. Y. August 16, 1837. 
I hereby certify, that I saw, some years since, in this neighborhood, a 
head of wheat and chess or cheat, growing together on a wheat stalk, not 
a chess stalk. For about an inch on the lower part of the head, was fair 
wheat all round the head. For about two inches above this, on the re¬ 
mainder of the head, on one side, grew distinct grains of chess, and on 
the other side, fair and distinct grains of wheat—as distinct and evident 
as are grains of wheat and chess growing on different stalks. 
JOHN ROUNSEVILLE. 
Caroline, JY. Y. August 16, 1837. 
We hereby certify, that we saw, at this place, last harvest, we believe 
as many as twenty heads of wheat, about one-third of the lower part of 
each head was round, containing wheat, and the remaining upper parts of 
the heads were flat, containing chess or cheat. Respecting this, there 
can be no mistake, as we examined the heads carefully, and the difference 
between the grains of wheat and chess was plain and evident to all of us. 
The straw was wheat straw, and not at all resembling chess straw. 
VALENTINE RANDALL, 
MERRILL H. RANDALL, 
JOB S. RANDALL, 
CHAUNCEY RANDALL, 
LEROY D. RANDALL. 
IMPROVED HARROWS. 
Pittsford, Monre co. Aug. 10/A, 1837. 
Mr. Buel—Dear Sir—I herewith send you the drawing of a harrow 
which I have lately completed, and for which I am procuring a patent_ 
If you shall consider the principle upon which it is constructed practica¬ 
ble, and an improvement that will result favorably to the agricultural in¬ 
terest, I shall be pleased if you will present a notice accompanied with 
an engraving and explanation, to the readers of your valuable paper. 
Fig. 40. 
EXPLANATION. 
A. Hooks and eyes on each arm and brace, to permit the arms to play 
according to the surface of the ground. The hooks fastened to the arms 
and braces by screw-bolts and nuts; the eyes on the ends of iron bars 
running through the centre beam. 
B. Centre beam, with a swell eight inches wide to receive two teeth, 
which are four inches apart in line, and set standing so that the points 
may be six inches apart; they are set catering irom eacholher, to prevent 
clogging; another tooth farther down works in the centre of the two 
first. 
CC. Arms, each having six teeth; teeth nine inches apart on beams, 
but working six inches apart in line, and so arranged that the teeth on the 
lower arms work in line in the middle of the track between the teeth on 
the fore arms. 
D. Braces to the arms, into which they are fastened by tenons, and 
pinned. 
The arms may be taken off from the centre beam, by taking out the 
bolts from the braces and swinging them forward. 
The great advantage which I conceive uiy harrow possesses over others, 
even of the jointed kinds, consists in its working more perfectly the whole 
surface of the ground over which it passes. The arms swinging indepen¬ 
dent of each other, enables one to descend into a hollow, while the other 
on the same side of the centre beam, is elevated by a stone, a sod, or any 
other little eminence;—whereas, in other jointed harrows, both arms 
would be elevated to the height of the highest, and consequently leave 
some ground undisturbed, or at least, but partially harrowed. Another 
advantage is, that the ground is harrowed alike in the middle and on the 
sides of the track, which does away the necessity of lapping the harrow 
on the ground already harrowed. The working of the teeth of the fore 
and back arms leave their track three inches apart from centres, and be¬ 
ing one inch square, and working diagonally, each tooth disturbs the 
ground nearly one inch and a half; leaving the tracks but one and a half 
inches apart. Respectfully yours, 
EDMUND WILBUR. 
WIRE—CUT AND GRAIN WORM. 
Dear Sir,—I have practised fall ploughing just before winter set in, 
and twice have turned over ^warded land in a January thaw, which I 
wished to redeem from worms; and, in general, had my expectations real¬ 
ized. 
