72 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
ant crops grown in the United States, and should receive 
a proportional care and attention. All years may not 
prove equally favorably ; hut if proper care is paid to 
the preparation of the ground, and to the choice of seed, 
perhaps there is no crop less liable to a failure. 
to fnqmrteo, 
Culture of Onions. 
To “ W.” who has inquired the “ best method of cul¬ 
tivating onions, the preparation of the soil, time and 
manner of planting, quantity of seed, after culture, and 
the preferable mode of keeping them through the win¬ 
ter,” we would say, that a fine loamy soil, sand pre¬ 
dominating, not too deep or too rich, is the best for the 
onion. The onion is one of the few plants which ap¬ 
pears to thrive best when cultivated for a succession of 
years on the same ground. The soil must be fine, that 
the seed may be covered without deep planting. If ma¬ 
nure is used, it must be thoroughly rotted andincorporated 
with the surface soil. A writer in the Horticultural Re-gis 
ter states that he raised excellent onions on a stiff clay, 
by covering the surface with three inches of well rotted 
manure, sowing the seed on this, and covering with an 
inch of fine earth. The roots could not penetrate the 
clay, and the bulbs formed in the surface mold. Onions 
should be sowed as early as the ground can be fitted for 
their reception; the latter part of April is to be pre¬ 
ferred, though good crops are occasionally grown from 
May sowing. They should be sown in drills ten or 
twelve inches apart, and sufficient seed should be used 
to insure a proper thickness in the drills. To grow 
good onions the roots may nearly touch each other, and 
the thinning may be regulated accordingly. The sur¬ 
face of the onion beds must be kept loose, and free from 
weeds. Few roots are more easily kept than the onion. 
It is only necessary to keep them dry, secure from frost, 
but at a temperature so low as not to encourage sprout¬ 
ing. Perfect dryness is one of t he mos essential things. 
In a dry cellar we have never found any difficulty in 
their preservation. — 
Shrunk Wheat for Seed. 
“ Quere .—Is it expedient to sow wheat that is shrunk 
from one-third to one-half, by rust ? I have a quantity 
of the Italian wheat of this description which is in de¬ 
mand, but I have misgivings about it; I have ascer¬ 
tained by experiment that four kernels out of five will 
urow ; but the quere is, whether such seed will produce 
a healthy stalk. An answer through your columns 
might be of service to the public.— H. B. S. Vt.” 
It is not expedient or advisable in this case, or any 
other, to sow defective seed. Imperfect seeds, if they 
do vegetate, never produce as healthy, vigorous plants 
as those from sound perfect seeds. We have sometimes 
known very good wheat produced from shrunk seed, 
and if transferred to other soils, or districts, the wheat 
of our correspondent may give a good sound crop. The 
safe rule for the farmer is, never to use a seed, a plant, 
or an animal, for the purpose of reproduction, tha„ is 
not perfect and healthy. 
Cutting Med-Oak Posts. 
Our friend in East Clarendon, Vt., who wishes to 
“ know the best season for cutting red-oak for fence 
posts,” is informed that we have had no experience with 
that kind of timber. If any of our readers will re¬ 
spond to the query, we shall be pleased to give the re¬ 
ply a place in our columns. The best time for cutting 
wood intended for timber, seems still a disputed point. 
That much of its durability, and its exemption from 
dry rot, is depending on the time in which it is cut, ap¬ 
pears evident, and any facts that go to settle this point, 
will be acceptable to the public. 
Warbles in Cattle. 
William Todd, Utica Mills, Md. says—“I would be 
very thankful to know whether there is any cure for 
what we call c "Warbles’ in the back of cattle at this 
time of year. I think them a great injury to cattle, and 
I have searched all the papers and books on the subject 
of stock, and can find nothing on the subject. I have 
some cattle at this time whose backs are literally cover¬ 
ed with them. I heard that unleached ashes, scattered 
on their backs, and sprinkled with water, would cure 
them ; but I have tried it in vain. There is a kind of 
maggot in each one, which will make its way out early 
in the summer. I have never known cattle to suffer 
from them farther than they are generally poor, and will 
not thrive or fatten well.” 
The difficulty or disease spoken of by our correspon¬ 
dent, is caused by the (Estrus bovis, or gad-fly, which in 
the hide and along the back of cattle, finds a habitation 
for its future young. The egg is deposited in July or 
August; the larvse or grub is developed in the course ol 
a few months, and remains in the abscess or pocket it 
has formed in the thickened hide until the spring months, 
When it escapes from its residence, burrows in the earth 
fpr a short time, undergoes its transformation, and 
emerges a perfect insect, prepared to reproduce and per¬ 
petuate its race. The head of the larvae is always to¬ 
wards the bottom Pf the cyst, the respiratory organs 
being near the tail, and consequently near the opening 
in the skin. In speaking of this insect, Mr. Youatt, in 
his great work on cattle, says, “ It certainly does not 
interfere with his condition, and the butcher regards 
the existence of warbles even as a proof of a disposi¬ 
tion to thrive. The injury done to the skin is r however, 
another affair, and the tanner would probably tell a dif¬ 
ferent story;” thus arriving at a different conclusion 
with regard to the injury they inflict from that of our 
correspondent. 
As soon as the larvre is sufficiently developed to have 
its place of residence easily found, it is easily destroyed 
by pouring a little corrosive liquor into the hole, or by 
introducing a red-hot needle. The larvse may also be 
crushed in its receptacle, or forced out with the finger 
and thumb, and destroyed. 
The following'is the method of cure recommended by 
Mr. Lawrence in his Farmers’ and Graziers’Complete 
Guide: 
Yellow basillicon ointment.4 ounces, 
Spirits of turpentine. 1 ounce, 
Oil of vitriol. £ a drachm. 
First mix the ointment and turpentine together, and 
afterwards add by a little at a time the oil of vitriol; 
keeping it constantly stirred until well incorporated. It 
is then fit for use. 
There are few animals of the ox or deer kind that 
are not liable to the attack of the fly; and we have 
seen wa -bles of the largest kind, in the common black 
squirrel of the woods. 
Grasses for Lawns. 
T. F. S. of Pawtucket, asks, “ What kind of grass or 
grasses make the most handsome green lawn ? when 
should the seeds be sown? and where can the Jerusalem 
artichoke and the burr-oak be obtained ?” 
What are called the dwarf grasses, or those used al¬ 
most exclusively for pastures, and which form a fine 
close turf, are to be preferred for lawns. Among these 
Anthoxanthum odorata ; Holcus odorata; Avenus pubes- 
cens; Poa annua; and some species of the agrostis, are 
used in England, and as they are found in our older pas¬ 
tures would unquestionably succeed here. Grass seeds 
maybe sown in the spring or fall,but the spring is the best 
time, and they may be put in with spring grain, such as 
wheat or barley, or by themselves, at the pleasure of 
the sower. All lawns require to be made perfectly 
smooth, and almost any of our common grasses that 
form a close turf, will, when frequently mown or fed 
close, give the fine and green appearance so desirable 
in turf. Much of the beauty ol' lawns will be found to 
depend on the treatment, and the labor bestowed on 
them. 
The Jerusalem artichoke is to be found every where, 
being cultivated in the garden of almost every farmer, 
and the roots in small quantities can be doubtless pro¬ 
cured of every gardener. The Burr Oak is not grown 
this side of the Alleganies to any extent. In the western 
states north of the Ohio, and particularly in Michigan, 
it flourishes abundantly, and by planting the acorns, 
might be readily introduced among us. 
Potatoes from the Seed. 
Our correspondent, J.G. Pierce, from East Smithfield, 
Pa. who inquires respecting the mode of producing po¬ 
tatoes from the seed, is informed that nothing more is 
necessary, than to provide a bed of rich garden mold in 
which the seeds are to be sown in the same manner as 
other small seeds, in drills 16 or 18 inches apart, cover¬ 
ed with fine light earth, and kept from weeds while 
growing. The roots the first season will be small, pro¬ 
bably showing many varieties, and the most promising 
of these must be preserved for planting the second 
year, when the peculiar quality and value of the seve¬ 
ral kinds can be more accurately ascertained. The 
celebrated Mr. Knight of England, in this way produced 
some of the most productive and valuable varieties 
now grown in that country. 
Appletrees—Black Scours, &c. 
A correspondent (J. L.) at St. Armands, L.C. wishes to 
know whether grafted appletrees, suitable for planting, 
can be had in Albany ? whether they can be so packed 
as to be sent safely ? and whether they will stand the 
winters of Canada? 
Appletrees, in any quantity, of the best grafted va¬ 
rieties of fruit, can be had at the Albany nurseries, at 
prices varying from $15 to $20 per hundred trees. They 
can also be safely packed, and forwarded to any part 
of the Canadas, or the United States, by water. Whe¬ 
ther they will survive the winters of that section of 
Canada, we have no means of determining with certain¬ 
ty; but it is our impression the trees would succeed, 
though, in such a northern latitude, the fruits might oc¬ 
casionally suffer from early or late frosts. This ques¬ 
tion might, however, be easily answered by any one on 
the spot. . 
J. L. also asks—“Do you know the disease which 1 
will call the ‘ black scours,’ or a preventive or cure for 
the same. It confines itself mostly to lambs or young 
sheep. It appears to be useless to do any thing for 
them, after they are attacked, as they soon run down 
and die.” 
We have never been troubled with this disease m our 
flocks; but Blacklock, in his excellent treatise, thus no¬ 
tices it. After making a distinction between the com¬ 
mon diarrhoea, produced in lambs by fresh grass, and 
the dysentery, he proceeds—“ If dysentery continues, it 
will terminate fatally within a fortnight. Death is ge¬ 
nerally preceded by the ‘ black scours,’ which is only an 
aggravation of the disease, or purging, the stools being 
mixed with shreds of dark, gangrenous matter from the 
decomposed interior of the intestines.” The directions 
he gives, for cure, are as follows—Bleed freely, if the 
disease is recent, but moderately if a longer time has 
elapsed. After bleeding, immerse the sheep in a tub of 
hot water, for twenty minutes. Then give an ounce of 
castor oil, with thirty drops of laudanum, and cover the 
sheep in a snug corner. Thin, well boiled flour por¬ 
ridge, given in .small quantities after the operation of 
the oil, are useful to defend the bowels, soothe the pain, 
and stop the purging. Should this course fail, a medi¬ 
cine, prepared as follows, maybe given—Logwood four 
ounces; extract of catechu, one drachm; cinnamon, two 
drachms; water, three pints; boil for a quarter of an 
hour ; strain and add sixty drops of laudanum. Give 
half a pint night and morning,,adding to each dose a 
grain of ipecacuhanha. The best preventive is clean, 
drypasture, pure air, and gentle treatment. Crowding 
numbers of sheep into confined places, is very sure to 
generate disease of some kind. 
Lawrence, in his work on cattle and sheep, gives the 
following recipe for this disease in sheep: 
“ Peruvian bark, in powder, one drachm. 
Root of ginger, do. one drachm. 
Prepared chalk, do. one drachm. 
Brandy or gin, one table spoonful. 
Mix and give in a little warm gruel; if the disease is 
very bad, add a tea-spoonful of laudanum.” 
Cultivation of Fruit Trees. 
A correspondent at Elizabethtown, N. J., inquires as 
to the “ proper time of setting out, and the best method 
of cultivating the pear, apple, quince, cherry, raspber¬ 
ry, gooseberry, and other slips.” 
Fruit trees may be transplanted at any season of the 
year, when proper precautions are used ; but when an in¬ 
dividual has the choice of time, the spring is much the 
best time for this operation. The ground for a nursery or 
an orchard- should be in good condition; the holes 
should not be dug deep, but large; as many of the 
roots, (particularly the fibrous ones) should remain as is 
possible; in removal, they should never become dry or be 
frozen ; and when placed in the earth, rich loose earth 
should he placed about and among the roots. Trees 
sometimes require to be secured from being shaken or 
moved by the wind, when first planted ; but if the roots 
are preserved and the planting done in a skilful manner, 
staking may usually be dispensed with. Fruit trees af¬ 
ter once being rooted require little attention, other than 
pruning, and preventing the grasses from binding the 
roots of the tree. 
Raspberries, gooseberries and currants, are usually 
planted in hedgerows, and to produce the largest and 
best fruit require that the earth around them should be 
moved annually. By cutting out from the currant 
slips, all the buds below, and for several inches above 
the surface of the earth, the numerous shoots that dis¬ 
figure this shrub may be prevented, and the fruit great¬ 
ly improved, by a more full and equal exposure to the 
sun. — 
Green’s Straw Cutter. 
We have received a letter from a gentleman of Rock¬ 
ingham county Va,. on the subject of this implement. 
Mr. H. purchased at Philadelphia, one of Green’s Straw 
Cutters, and he concludes it is not the thing it has been 
recommended to be, and wishes that some one could be 
invented, and then thoroughly tested by some Agricul¬ 
tural Society, which would answer the purpose of cutting 
straw of any length, be strong, and not liable to get out 
of repair, and which could be worked by horse or other 
power as well as by hand. 
We do not wonder that our correspondent complains. 
The cylinder of his machine was wood instead of lead 
as it should have been, and soon wore out; and the 
several parts were made of white pine, instead of good 
strong wood, as such implements require. We are not 
surprised that he ranks it with wooden nutmegs, and 
pine made carryall wagons. 
Green’s Straw Cutter, when well made, is as little lia¬ 
ble to get out of order as any such implement perhaps can 
be; and the only serious objection we have heard made to 
it is, that it can not be made to cut fodder of any requir¬ 
ed length. In some cases it is also said to clog. The 
great fault of our machinists in making agricultural im¬ 
plements is, they do not make them strong enough ; they 
do not use iron enough to give the required firmness. 
Farmers do not handle tools or machines, as they are 
treated in workshops; they do not notice the first signs 
of displacement of the parts, and take precautions 
against further damage, and therefore all such imple¬ 
ments require the greatest firmness and strength. 
We hope the hints of our correspondent will receive 
attention; and shall readily give place to a notice of 
farming implements, such as he has desired. 
Poudrette. 
“ Is Poudrette a good manure on clay soil? On what 
soil is it most beneficial ? Mine is a clay soil and I have 
intended to try some of the manure this season. 
“ J. C., Freehold, N. J.” 
In the several experiments in the use of the Poudrette 
in this country, the details of which have been publish¬ 
ed, we find no mention made of the character of the 
soils on which it was used. We therefore copy the 
following from a French periodical, as an answer to the 
above inquiry: 
“ 1. Poudrette is a perfect substitue for common dung, 
whether with respect to price or quality. 2. Its favora¬ 
ble effects essentially depend on the moisture of the sea¬ 
son. 3. In dry years it is less efficacious upon sandy 
soils than upon very greasy or medium clays. 4. It is 
