THE CULTIVATOR. 
39 
the young plants. Stirring the earth about the plants 
in a hot-bed is as useful as in the garden. 
Length,. 10£ feet, 
Breadth,. 5 feet, 
Heighth,. 3 feet in front, 
Backside,. 4 feet. 
It will thus be seen, that, by making the sash frame and 
bars wider than usual, and by the use of slides, I have 
a length of bed of over ten feet; whereas, by using 
common sash and no slides, it would have been but a 
little over eight; a gain of no trifling consequence. It 
will be seen that by adding to the number of sash, the 
bed may be made of any desired length. 
Yours, &c. H. M. G.” 
Where sash can not conveniently be had, frames co¬ 
vered with oiled paper are said to have been used with 
success ; but the glass is evidently far preferable, and if 
carefully used and housed when not wanted in the 
frame, sash will last many years. 
There is also another way in which the heating pro¬ 
perties of manure may be made available; and that is 
by piling quantities of it in the garden, either in a long 
or rounded form, and covering the heaps with earth to 
the depth of a foot or more. If these piles are not 
made so early as to bring plants started upon them with¬ 
in the reach of spring frosts, they are very useful and 
may be adopted by every farmer. If the soil is natu¬ 
rally dry, it will be better to put in the seeds around 
their base, but if the soil inclining to be retentive, they 
may be planted upon in any place, without danger of 
suffering from drought. We have in this way grown 
the finest of cucumbers, melons and squashes; when 
those not so planted were an entire failure. Like that 
fermented in a common hot-bed, such manure is in the 
best order for spreading on the garden the next season, 
being fine, and free from seeds, &c. 
Little in our climate can be done, in gardening in 
March, unless in the warmest situations, where lettuces, 
peas, and those few things that may appear without the 
certainty of destruction from frost, may be put in for 
early use. As a general rule, however, it may be sta¬ 
ted, that unless some forcing process is used, and pro¬ 
tection given the plants, there is but little if any thing 
gained by commencing gardening too early. There 
must be warmth to assist or cause germination, and 
where this aid is but scantily supplied, though they 
start, they will be feeble, and lack the vigor and rapidi¬ 
ty of growth seen under more favorable circumstances. 
Inquiries, Correspondence, &c. 
A communication on peat earth, peat ashes, &c. from 
Mr. Seely, was given in the first number of volume 6 
of this paper ; and Mr. S. was pleased to promise more 
on the same subject. A correspondent in Virginia, re¬ 
quests us to remind Mr. Seely of his promise, and we 
heartily concur in the request “ that he will give us 
more information on these matters.” 
Kendall’s Rotary Pump. 
We would inform our correspondent, who has inquir¬ 
ed the price of this pump—“ its power in throwing a jet 
of water ; and whether it can be applied to a succession 
of upright conduits, for the purpose of dressing meadow 
land with water or liquid manure;” that we have no in¬ 
formation on these points, but should any of our friends 
be able to supply an answer, we shall be pleased to give 
it a place in the Cultivator. 
Meadows, Pastures, &c. 
Our friend from Conway, Mass, will find the queries 
he has propounded, more fully answered in a former vo¬ 
lume of the Cultivator, than our limits will at present 
permit. He inquires first: 
“ How can pasturing be improved on broken rocky 
land that cannot be plowed V- By a top dressing of 
manure only. 
2. “ A.large part of my mowing is moist cold land, na¬ 
tural to grass. Shall I feed my mowing ? Shall I put 
30 loads of manure to the acre, and crop twice, or spread 
it over more land, and crop once ?” 
Moist cold land must be drained, and then it will be 
warm dry land. In this state, a rotation of crops will 
enrich it. Better cultivate a little land well, than half 
farm a larger quantity. The first will enable you gra¬ 
dually to improve the whole ; the last will deteriorate 
the whole. 
“ Will good lands hold their own, mowed once and not 
fed?” 
They will; but to have good grass, it is necessary to 
occasionally put on grass seeds, and scarify the surface 
with a light harrow. 
“ Is lime of any use on moist cold lands ?” No, drain 
first, and use lime afterwards. 
“ What would be the effect to plaster good dryish land 
without manure, crop once, and not feed any .<*” In time, 
the land would deteriorate. In our wheat districts, we 
plaster clover, and crop wheat for years in succession; 
but the land rests two years in clover pasture, on which 
sheep and cattle are fed—which, with the decaying clo¬ 
ver, and roots, gives a heavy manuring to the soil. Plas¬ 
ter and lime, are not properly manures. 
“ Are ashes and plaster similar in their effects on 
land ?” Not precisely, as the one owes its efficacy prin¬ 
cipally to the nitrate of potash it contains—and the 
other, to its sulphuric acid and lime. Both, however, 
are good, and the best on dry, sandy, or gravelly soils. 
Swamp mud, will produce generally little effect on land, 
unless first made into compost, or used to absorb the li¬ 
quid manure of the gravel. In either of these ways, it 
is invaluable. 
“ How should the Rohan potato be planted ?” Three 
feet each way between the hills, will do well; or they 
may be planted in drills. This is a vigorous plant, and 
requires more room than some other potatoes. It is 
better to cut them. Double the quantity can be produc¬ 
ed from a bushel cut, than from one uncut. We have 
found one eye to a piece succeed well; and if planted 
in hills, three pieces is abundance of seed ; in drills they 
are placed singly. [See Mr. Bement’s communication 
in another column.] 
“ Where can I get the brown corn?” In New-Hamp- 
shire, of Gen. Hill, editor of the Family Visitor; or of 
Mr. Cooke, of the Cheshire Farmer, we presume, as 
these gentlemen have this corn in their possession. 
Cocooneries. 
We have received from Mr. Benson, of Smyrna, Dela¬ 
ware, a description of his mode of feeding silk-worms 
on his patent revolving hurdle; and should think it a 
decided improvement on former methods, and worthy 
the attention of all in the silk business. Mr. Benson 
estimates the saving of expense in feeding a million of 
worms, at $420, besides insuring better silk, and health 
to the worms. Mr. Benson has ample testimonials of 
the superiority of his patent hurdle, from gentlemen 
who have seen or tested its usefulness, among whom 
are the Governor of the State, Hon. Judge Clayton, &c. 
&c. Mr. Benson may be addressed at Smyrna, State of 
Delaware. — 
Cooking and Steaming Apparatus. 
“ Editors of the Cultivator—I have been looking 
about for a long time for some apparatus for steaming 
or cooking roots or other food, in an expeditious and 
cheap manner. Can not you give us something of this 
kind that will not cost too* much either for the article it¬ 
self, or what is of quite as much consequence, consume 
too much fuel in cooking. With the common potash 
kettle, the wood required costs us as much as the bene¬ 
fit derived from cooking. Coal would be economical 
here. New-Windsor, Orange co. J. R. Caldwell.” 
The best and cheapest apparatus for steaming roots, 
&.c. we have yet seen, is made, by putting to a box of 
the required dimensions for cooking or steaming, a bot¬ 
tom of sheet iron, and setting this,box on an arch of 
brick or stone work, allowing about four inches of each 
side of the box to rest on the brick work. Let the box 
be made of inch and a half or two inch plank; the sheet 
iron with a double row of holes for nails, secured to the 
bottom of this, will be water tight, and a false bottom 
made of a board, and perforated with numerous holes, 
with cleats nailed on it to lie on the iron bottom, and 
prevent the roots burning on it, completes the steamer. 
We have used one made on this principle, for several 
years, and know of no plan which will cook food with 
equal rapidity and cheapness. Our steamer holds 15 
bushels, and the fuel required is but a trifle. 
Carpenter’s Harvesting Machine. 
Mr. T. F. Lambson, of Salem, N. Jersey, sends us the 
following queries in relation to the above machine, a 
cut of which appeared in the Genesee Farmer, of Octo¬ 
ber, 1839. We are unable to answer them ; but should 
be pleased to receive a reply from Mr. Carpenter, or 
any gentleman who has tested the machine. 
“ Wliat would be the cost of the machine ? What 
number of hands is necessary to attend it ? Would the 
wheels of the car be likely to sink so deep into the earth 
as to render the machine useless when the ground is 
very wet ? and lastly, could the thresher be dispensed 
with, and the machine taught to mow ?” 
Gourd Seed Corn—Pheasants. 
“ Mr. Hagner, of Schuylkill Falls, Pa. inquires about 
the ‘ tea cob gourd seed corn/ whether it is grown with 
us, and its general produce per acre,” &c. This corn is 
not a favorite in the north, as it does not ripen suffi¬ 
ciently early to be secure against frost; where it ripens, 
we have heard it spoken of as an excellent variety, and 
justifying the encomiums of Mr. Hagner. 
Mr. H. also asks, “ Do you, or any of your corres¬ 
pondents know where the golden pheasant fowl, and the 
silver pheasant, or creole fowl originally came from? I 
have them both, and they are most prolific layers of 
eggs.” 
The golden pheasant, (jphasianus pictus,) is a native 
of China, and according to Teneminck, is remarkable 
for the beauty of its plumage. He says, another fine 
species of pheasant is found in China, called the silver 
pheasant, (p. nycthemerus .) The genus phasianus, not 
only includes the pheasants proper, but also the domes¬ 
tic fowl. Their habits are similar. 
Potatoes. 
A correspondent in Tioga county, Pa. writes us as 
follows :—“ Of the six eyes of the Rohan potato, you 
were so kind as to send me last year, four of them liv¬ 
ed, and from the four hills, I obtained about one-third 
of a bushel of potatoes. Valuable as this variety pro¬ 
mises to be, reckoning by the hill, my kidney potatoes 
beat them considerably—but then, the kidneys had the 
advantage of one large potato in each hill. From dif¬ 
ferent measurements, of a square rod, I found the kid¬ 
neys would fairly average 600 bushels per acre, the 
greatest yield I have ever had, and that off the same 
ground, where last year they were scarcely worth dig¬ 
ging. Were not my page out, I would say something on 
the disputed question of hilling, or not hilling potatoes. 
They are both right, and both wrong, it depending en> 
tirely on the kinds cultivated: No two varieties of plant® 
differing more in the manner of their growth abov» 
ground, than the different kinds of potatoes do under 
ground.” 
We hope our correspondent will favor us with his 
views on this topic, illustrating them by reference to 
the several cultivated varieties of the potato. 
Threshing Machines. 
A “ Subscriber” at Baltimore, who inquires respect¬ 
ing threshing machines, particularly those suitable for 
small farmers, cost, &c. is informed that there are a 
great variety of them in use, and most of them answer¬ 
ing well the purposes intended. One of the best kinds 
we have noticed, is one moved by one horse, treading 
on a revolving floor, to tend which, two men and two 
boys are sufficient, and which will thresh from 50 to 
100 bushels of grain in a day with ease. Such machines 
are not liable to get out of order—can be repaired by a 
common machinist, and cost from $110 to $130. 
Windmills. 
Mr. John Coulson, of Baltimore county, Md. has ask¬ 
ed for information with regard to the windmill patented 
by Mr. Keys, of Vermont; and that built by E. S. An¬ 
drews, of Pittsford, Monroe county, and the evidences 
of their success and utility. If either of these gentle¬ 
men will favor us with the information sought, it shall 
have a place in the Cultivator. 
Silk. 
We make the following extract from the letter of a 
correspondent, of Macedon, Wayne county. The yield 
of silk was a good one; but experiments made on a 
small scale, are apt to exhibit higher results than on a 
more extensive one. It shows, however, the ease with 
which silk can be grown; and adds another to the many 
proofs that it can, and will be a profitable business. 
The length of the thread of silk is, I think, not often ex¬ 
ceeded, equalling about 1900 feet. 
“ In May last, I had a present of a few silk-worm eggs, 
which hatched 150 worms, which formed their cocoons 
in a little short of six weeks. One hundred of them 
weighed 5J ounces. Ninety were reeled a few days 
since, and produced 1£ ounce of silk reeled. When the 
first cocoon had run off, they had reeled on a common 
reel eight knots.” 
Our friends who make inquiries of us, will par¬ 
don us if we are at times more brief than they could de¬ 
sire ; as many of these subjects are fully discussed in 
the former volumes of the Cultivator; and justice to 
former subscribers demands, that too much space be not 
occupied with matter already in their possession. 
Notices, &c. 
OSWEGO COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
We have received from our friends in Oswego, the 
proceedings of a meeting of the farmers of that coun¬ 
ty, held on the first of February, which resulted in the 
formation of County Agricultural Society, with the con¬ 
stitution of the society, officers, &c. We should have 
been happy to have laid the whole before our readers 
this month, but the space occupied by the proceedings 
of the State Agricultural Society and Convention, for¬ 
bid. We shall make room for these at the earliest op¬ 
portunity. 
A meeting has been held at Syracuse to receive the 
report of a committee appointed to prepare a more ef¬ 
fective organization of the Agricultural Society of that 
rich county. The result we have not learned; but trust 
it will be such as will unite all hearts and hands in an 
efficient and cordial support. Nothing is wanting but 
the disposition, to give Onondaga a Society that shall 
be an example to the state, and an honor to the farmers 
of that county. This disposition we believe will be 
found to exist where the subject is properly presented 
to them. 
Alpaca Wool. 
At the late meeting of the British Association for the 
advancement of science, Mr. Dawson made a commu¬ 
nication on the' introduction of a species of Auchenia , 
(the Llama of South America,) into Great Britain, 
and presented specimens and samples of Alpaca wool, 
native and manufactured in imitation of silk, and with¬ 
out dye, as black as jet. Zoologists enumerate five 
species of the Llama, all of which afford wool; but the 
Alpaca alone has fine wool, from six to twelve inches 
long, and the Vicema wool like the fur of the beaver at 
the base of its coarse hair. The Alpaca wool is already 
becoming an object of interest and importation to Eng¬ 
land, where, it seems not so much to enter into compe¬ 
tition with the wool of sheep, as with silks. It is capa¬ 
ble of the finest manufacture, and is especially suited 
to such fabrics as the finest shawls. The yarns spun 
in England are mostly sold in France for the shawl 
trade, at from $1.50 to $3.50 per lb. according to quali¬ 
ty, the price of the Alpaca wool being from 55 to 65 
cents per lb. 
We cannot conceive there is any thing to prevent the 
naturalization of the Alpaca in the United States, and 
the attempt, if successful, might add an important item 
to our catalogue of ways and means. Although found 
under the equator, it lives and thrives on the highes# 
inhabited districts of the Andes, where the cold is mor® 
