THE CULTIVATOR. 
estimated my crop at less than 30 bushels—the potatoes 
small and few. The ground was good, the season favor¬ 
able, and the crop well cultivated. I selected a small 
spot in my garden, as rich as I dare make it, and plant¬ 
ed early with some of the best of my seed; it was nur¬ 
sed with the utmost care, and although the growth of vines 
was not great, yet the yield was scarcely greater than 
the amount of seed planted. But this is not all; the 
quality of the potatoes is abominable: no man would 
eat them in his right senses ; and they are undoubtedly 
as poor for stock as the table. I have extended my in¬ 
quires as far as I have been able to do, and find myself 
as well off with my Rohans as my neighbors. If the 
quality of the potatoes were worthy of the expense, 
seed perhaps might be brought from the south, and the 
product kept up. But as we have so great a variety of 
better potatoes, I think in this latitude, the Rohan po¬ 
tato will rank with many other exploded humbugs. 
Respectfully yours, SAMUEL GUTHRIE. 
Sackett’s Harbor , N. Y. Oct. 24, 1840. 
PROGRESS OF THE SILK BUSINESS. 
Messrs. Editors —As many of your readers are in¬ 
terested in the progress of the silk staple in our coun¬ 
try, and as many, not directly interested in its prosecu¬ 
tion, are nevertheless quietly waiting for the whole 
business to become so much simplified, by the experience 
and the improvements of others, as to render it a safe 
and certain occupation for them to embark in, I should 
be glad of an opportunity to communicate through your 
columns, some facts in relation to this interesting sub¬ 
ject. My feeding operations the present summer, have 
resulted in my constructing an entirely new apparatus 
for rearing silk worms, which I call the “ Burlington 
Silk Worm Framed It is altogether opposed to the 
whole hurdle system, and combines advantages so re¬ 
markable, as to take away all objections to the rearing 
of them, as a regular business on an extensive scale. 
Among these advantages may be enumerated the fol¬ 
lowing : 
1. It secures the most thorough ventilation to all parts 
of the frame on which the worms are feeding, below as 
well as above, and obliges them of necessity, to clean 
themselves of their excrement and other rubbish. 
2. That part of all former modes of feeding which re¬ 
quires waiting for the worms to mount upon fresh foli¬ 
age in order to clean them, is entirely dispensed with ; 
and though cleaning is never necessary, yet should the 
worms require changing, it is done almost instantly, a 
thousand at a time, and without the worms being con¬ 
scious of the change. 
3. The whole apparatus is as portable as a quilting 
frame ; and all the parts which require handling during 
the feeding season, are as portable as an umbrella, with¬ 
out being liable to breakage. 
4. Ventilation and cleanliness are soprefectly accom¬ 
plished, that disease seems out of the question, unless 
originating in the egg. 
5. The age [from the spinning] of any number of 
cocoons, from one thousand up to a million, is identifi¬ 
ed to a day, and they are gathered with six times the 
facility of the hurdle system, at the same time coming 
out perfectly clean, and with but little waste of floss. 
6. By using branches, cut down with a grass hook or 
scythe, it saves more than one half the usual expense 
of gathering foliage and feeding it out to the worms, 
and more of them are accommodated in the same space, 
and it is cheaper and more durable than the hurdles. 
The vast superiority of this over all other fixtures 
for feeding silk worms, is such as to be apparent even 
to persons not acquainted -with the rearing of them; 
while intelligent gentlemen, practically conversant with 
the business, have pronounced, without a single excep¬ 
tion, that it fully accomplishes all that has been said 
above. It has been tried repeatedly and found success¬ 
ful in practice, and may be seen at the Burlington Fila¬ 
ture, where persons interested in the silk business are in¬ 
vited to examine into its merits. It rejects the hurdle 
system entirely, and is original in all its parts. A frame 
sufficient to feed 12,000 worms, may be seen at Jos. 
Leeds’ U. S. Silk Agency, No. 2 Franklin Place, Phila¬ 
delphia, the proprietor of which has been appointed 
agent for the sale of frames and rights, to whom, or to 
the patentee at Burlington, application may be made. 
An engraved view, with a full description, will be sent 
on application, post paid. Gentlemen about, to erect 
cocooneries will find it highly important to examine the 
capabilities of this frame, previous to erecting any other 
fixtures. Many large cocooneries are now being fittec 
up with it, and others are building, in which no other 
fixtures will be used. At Halifax, N. C. Mr. H. Wilkes 
is fitting up a cocoonery, 200 feet long by 21 wide ; at 
Brinckleyville, in the same state, Mr. S. Weller, has 
also erected a large cocoonery; at Catskill, N. Y. Mr. 
John C. Johnston is preparing an extensive establish¬ 
ment ; at Carlisle, Pa. Mr. R. S. Hall, has just com¬ 
pleted a cocoonery 60 feet long; at Concordville, Pa. 
Mr. James S. Peters will erect one of the same dimen¬ 
sions, and at Bristol, Pa. Mr. C. S. Newbold, is about 
erecting one of similar size. All these, with others that 
could be mentioned in abundance, will use the Burlin- 
ton frame exclusively. Most of them have witnesses 
its operation here, while the worms were actually feed¬ 
ing on it, and have thence adopted it without hesitation 
as the only true plan. 
It is a mistaken idea to suppose the silk business on 
the decline. At no time was its extension greater, nor its 
goodness more apparent to its friends. Silk has been 
made in quantities, varying from one to fifty pounds, al 
around me. I have made nearly fifty pounds the present 
season, and others here have made nearly as much. At 
the Burlington Filature, which is under my charge, 
three reels are constantly employed in converting co¬ 
coons into raw silk, and the highest price in cash is 
paid for all that are offered for Sale. Between two and 
three hundred bushels are now on hand, and contracts 
will be made for purchasing the crop of the ensuing 
season. The Filature will be extended as the supply 
of cocoons enlarges. 
I have a variety of printed documents, in relation to 
the silk business in our country, prepared for gratui¬ 
tous distribution, which I will send with great plea¬ 
sure, to those gentlemen who write lor it without 
charge of postage. 
Respectfully yours, 
EDMUND MORRIS. 
Burlington, N. J. Nov. 13, 1840. 
HOT AIR FURNACE. 
Messrs. Gaylord 8c Tucker —I have recently be¬ 
come a subscriber to the Cultivator published in Albany, 
N. Y. which I find to be a very valuable paper. On pe¬ 
rusal of the April No. of said paper I find a description 
of a Hot Air Furnace which has engaged my particular 
attention. The reason was, it so very nearly resembled 
a furnace I had constructed in a house of my own built 
in 1836; I have used that alone since that time to warm 
my whole house except my kitchen. The part warmed 
consists of two rooms below 16 by 17 feet square, entry 
8 by 16 feet, 2 rooms above 14 by 14 feet, 2 rooms above 
8 by 9 feet, entry above, and two rooms above in the Xi 
over my kitchen, 8 by 16 each. The construction of my 
furnace was original with me. I so arranged the arch 
upon which my chimney was to stand as to make that 
the furnace of itself which I consider an improvement 
on yours. 
I left apertures 7 inches in diameter, same as those 
marked in yours E. E., which passes up through both 
my hearths to supply hot air in my lower rooms which 
are as before stated, 16 by 17 feet square each. To con¬ 
duct hot air into my chambers, I left two flues each 
about four inches square in my chimney which led from 
the hot air chamber of furnace into each of my two 
large chambers above, and came out of the chimney 
about 5 inches above the chamber floor by means of a 
tin pipe inserted into the chimney horizontally, to ex¬ 
tend from the flue into the room. Those pipes can be 
closed by a tin cover similar to that of a tin pail which 
can be opened and shut at pleasure. My smoke flue 
was carried up in the chimney beginning at the hot air 
chamber, no larger than the stove pipe, and directly be¬ 
tween the two hot air flues (with only one thickness of 
brick between) and extended to the top of my chimney. 
The stove that I have used is nothing but a common 
box stove of large size, say 2£ feet long, 16 inches square. 
Upon the top of this stove I have one large round drum 
about 16 inches in diameter, and nearly as long as the 
stove, and above that I had two small drums only six 
inches in diameter, but extended the length of my hot 
air chamber, and then into the chimney above. In 
addition to the above, I had a pipe for hot air made 
of brick placed upon a plank supported for the purpose 
to lead from the side of my furnace near the top, and 
extended about 7 feet through my cellar, (which is 
kept apart for the furnace) and leads up into my entry by 
a ventilator. This keeps the entry or hall which is about 
8 by 28 feet perfectly warm as well as my whole house. 
In half an hour after a fire is built in the morning, you 
would be comfortably warm in any room or entry even 
when the mercury stands 15° below zero outside, which 
is not unfrequently the case in this climate. My 
stove had no grate on the bottom, neither had I an ash¬ 
pit. In other respects, my furnace resembles that re¬ 
presented in your paper. This is found such an im¬ 
provement in this country, that many have followed my 
example, and many others have even laid by the coal 
furnaces which are so much cracked up in cities, and 
adopted mine. The first year I used my furnace, I burnt 
about 12 cords soft wood, pine and spruce. I would pre- 
fer a stove for my furnace such as you recommend, but 
none are to be had in this section of our country. 
Truly yours, LEVI L. LOWELL. 
Calais, (Me.) Sept. 27th, 1840. 
Rearing Calves on Flax Seed and Hay Tea. 
Messrs. Editors —Permit me through the medium 
of your valuable periodical, to thank my friend of Wash¬ 
ington, for his favors bestowed on me, the which through 
your politeness I have received, and in reply to his ques¬ 
tion as to my way of rearing calves, I reply that I believe 
not one of the calves I raised, ever received a drop of milk 
from the cow. My cows were watched closely, and as 
soon, and in fact in more than one case before they did 
stand, they were carried in the pen I had prepared for 
them ; their mouths were then filled with salt, (this by the 
by was done at least once a day, until they were turned in 
pasture.) In preparing the flax seed, we put half a 
pint of seed to three quarts of water, and boiled it till it 
became a jelly ; then boiled water on hay, so that when 
the hay tea and flax seed was mixed, it was but little 
thicker than milk; this, when about blood warm, was 
put in a trough, and it was but a little time before this 
was the only trouble we had with them. We every day 
put fresh hay in their pen, and I have seen my calves at 
7 days old eating considerable of the finest of the timo¬ 
thy hay, and it was really amusing to see the sprightli¬ 
ness of a calf at 4 and 5 days old that had never tasted 
milk, which is so contrary to the common way of rear¬ 
ing them; but it convinced me of the saying of Sam 
Patch that some things can be done as well as others. 
My calves can be seen at any time on my farm in Beth¬ 
lehem, half a mile south of Albany on the White Hall 
road. I have never tried this mode of raising pigs, but I 
intend to with some of the first litter I have, and will let 
you hear of my success. I see only one obstacle in the 
way, and that is to learn them to drink, for I think if 
this method is adopted it must be done without the pigs 
having any milk. I think we must obey the command 
in fact and deed to train it up in its infancy in the way 
we would have it go, if we expect success. 
THE HEREFORDS. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker— Anxious as I may ap¬ 
pear to defend the Herefords against all unjust attacks, I 
hope not to depreciate any other breed by it. However 
highly I may value their good qualities, there are other 
breeds that are commendable. I think the right sort of Dur- 
hams, hard animals to be beaten, and will never be inten¬ 
tionally depreciated in value, from my remarks. If I ad¬ 
vance my opinion to society, I am subject to public criti¬ 
cism, and am ready and willing to meet it. I neither aim 
at display, or ever expect tp derive any pecuniary benefit 
from it; whenever I am in error, I hope to be corrected ; 
as what I advance is from my own observation and prac¬ 
tice, and I trust, founded on facts ; when proved so, all I 
ask, is to have them confirmed. Should they tend to pro¬ 
mote the public good, my hopes are realized, the obligation 
cancelled, and I am satisfied. I will now endeavor to an¬ 
swer the objections brought against the Herefords by Mr. 
Hepburn. 
Mr. H. I see, has read Youatt, and quoted a passage from 
him that he would do better to reperuse. How far Youatt’s 
practical knowledge extends, is to me a matter of doubt, 
especially when he says “the Hereford cow is an inferior 
animal; not only is she no milker, but even, her form has 
been sacrificed by the breeder.” I refer Mr. H. back to his 
own quotation, and he will perceive that Mr. Y. acknow¬ 
ledges the breeder to have attended to form in his cow, to 
breed a good ox. I would ask Mr. H. if a good ox can be 
bred from an inferior animal, or if a breed of any kind can 
be kept up with inferior dams ? There seems to me to be 
something wrong in the remark of Mr. Y. that does not 
read well to a practical man. I will also refer him to a 
sale of Herefords twenty years since, that will show they 
stood high at that time in the estimation of breeders. 
A sale of Hereford cattle took place at Wellington, Here¬ 
fordshire, Oct. 19, 1820, the property and extra stock of 
the Misses Tompkins, at which 29 lots, consisting of 16 
cows, 5 heifers, 2 two year old bulls, 6 calves, were sold for 
£4,709.7; the highest price was a two years old bull, 
which sold for £588, or $2,610. The average price of the 
29 animals, was £162.7, nearly $800 each. This sale can 
be referred to by any Hereford or Durham breeder of note 
in England as a bona fide sale. If Mr. Youatt had been 
at this sale previous to writing his views of Herefords it 
might have been couched in a different position; as I can¬ 
not allow the good judgment of English breeders to be so 
disgraced, as to give such prices for inferior animals. I 
cannot think Mr. Youatt gleaned his information from 
practical men, or where were the advocates of all other 
breeds when the owner of Trojan offered to show him 
against all England for a thousand guineas. This was 
more than twenty years since; I can refer to date and all 
particulars if necessary. If he had been an inferior ani¬ 
mal it certainly would have been accepted, or could any in¬ 
ferior animal breed a bull of this description ? Let Eng¬ 
land produce a better bull of any breed than old Cotmore, 
or Major, of the present day; then I will be convinced 
that Herefords can be beaten. 
I might trace the origin of theDurhams from the ancients, 
without any proof that it was that breed only deserved from 
it the ascendancy. I might pursue their advancement, and 
find them supported by the hands of wealthy, popular men, 
who nursed them with the most tender care, who spared 
no expense in effecting their improvement, and gave them 
the advantage of their art, skill, and study. In the mean 
time, a better breed may spring up, go through a less flat¬ 
tering process, and come out triumphantly; and I think 
all will allow that Durhams have had the decided advan¬ 
tage over Herefords in this respect. 
I am sorry my remarks do not read well to Mr. H. after 
reading a standard work. I should like him to explain to 
me, the true derivation of that standard, and establish its 
firm foundation. My idea is that the practical man that 
makes the improvement, is the truest standard. A man 
may be a proficient in disease, and effect many miraculous 
cures, which I have no doubt Mr. Youatt has done, and is 
as highly respected as any man in England ; but we are 
all liable to mistake, and are all open to correction. I am 
sorry my efforts are called forth against him. Whatever 
the Herefords may have been, they are now all they are 
represented to be—beautiful, noble animals. And I think 
other breeders will find they have something to contend 
against, to maintain the top standing. And as our worthy 
and esteemed friend, A. B. Allen, Esq., says, that good and 
gentlemanly judgment is showing itself in Ohio, that is all 
I ask to judge, and will cheerfully abide by the decision. 
True judgment, and a right spirit in agriculture, is all that 
America requires to make her what she must be, the head 
of all nations. It was that only, that kept England up, and 
raised her to what she is. 
I cannot agree with Mr. H. when he tries to deter men 
from importing. My idea is that we should get the best 
animals that can be obtained, and of every breed that are 
likely to render service, leaving prejudice entirely out of 
