THE CULTIVATOR. 
HOT AXK FURNACE. 
Editors of the Cultivator —I observe with plea¬ 
sure, a communication in your Dec. number, (vol. 7, 
pa°-e 195 ) from Levi L. Lowell, describing a hot air 
furnace erected by him some years since Every ex¬ 
periment of the kind is calculated to lead to the im¬ 
provement of this new and excellent mode of warm¬ 
ing rooms. 
Since these furnaces have become a little known, a 
very erroneous impression has prevailed with some, in 
relation to the amount of fuel consumed by them. This 
has doubtless arisen from the enormous quantity oi 
heat wasted by those usually built in cities. A gentle¬ 
man from the town, endeavored to dissaude Ins friend 
in the country from erecting one, asserting that it 
would soon burn up all the wood on his farm. J\ow, 
nothing can be farther from the fact; indeed it is one 
of the most striking excellencies of this furnace, and 
that which peculiarly recommends it to the farmers of 
our country, that it consumes so little. From actual 
experiment, it is certain, that our large two-story farm 
houses, may be warmed throughout, day and night, 
with ten cords of wood a year. 
Error exists also relative to their healthiness. Years 
of trial, however, have removed all doubt on this point. 
It has been proved that better health, especially free¬ 
dom from catarrhs and their attendant symptoms, is en¬ 
joyed, not only by those who keep within doors, but by 
those whose business causes them to be exposed to the 
weather through the day. For invalids, the furnace is 
invaluable. The writer has recently had an opportu¬ 
nity of testing this with great satisfaction in his own 
family. And it is believed that West India voyages, 
for consumptive patients, would be more rarely requi¬ 
red than at present, if it was in more general use. The 
peculiar feeling of summer air, and the entire freedom 
from the unpleasant sensation of stove heat, is such, 
that few who have once tried the furnace, will relin¬ 
quish it willingly. In all weathers it is the same. 
While I am now writing, enjoying the advantages of a 
summer atmosphere, while “winter, in his roughest 
mood,” is raging without. 
The chief advantages of the furnace I described in a 
former number, appear to be in the broad, square, flat 
drums, which, by breaking short the smoke in its course, 
and exposing its heat to the air without by large surfa¬ 
ces, suffers little to escape. A sufficient number of 
these, and large hot air tubes, will commonly insure a 
good furnace. The latter should be so large, that air 
of a temperature of 140 J Fahrenheit, rising through 
them, will keep the rooms at 70° in the most intensely 
cold weather. For this, the diameter cannot be much 
less than one foot. 
This furnace originated with and was first erectec 
in the year 1834, by William It. Smith, of Macedon. 
Perhaps some of your readers may be glad to learn, 
that complete castings for the stove, drums, and the cir¬ 
cular revolving grates for the hot air pipes, of large 
size and improved construction, are furnished to order 
by Elbridge Williams of Palmyra, Wayne County, New 
York. Very respectfully, J. J. THOMAS. 
Macedon, Wayne Co. 12 mo. 1840. 
The Chinese Tree Corn. 
Having several communications on the culture of the 
Chinese Tree Corn, we have thought best to condense 
them as much as possible, and arrange them all under 
one head. 
Mr. Henry VanKleeck of Cuddebaclcville, Orange 
county, N. Y., says : “ I send you two ears of what I 
have cultivated for China tree corn, wishing to know if 
this is like that which has generally been sold under 
that name. From the plat of ground mentioned in my 
communication, (p. 196, vol. 7,) being a scant acre, I 
had 120 bushels of ears ; and from two separate bush¬ 
els of ears, shelled at different times, I had each time 
more than 20 quarts when shelled. This you will per¬ 
ceive would be at the rate of 75 bushels of shelled corn 
from the acre. In the whole, there was not one bushel 
that was not perfectly sound and fit for seed. When it 
is considered that much of this was injured by the pre¬ 
sence of a number of old apple trees—that three-fourths 
of it had had no manure for many years, except one 
plastering in the year 1836, and that a part of that on 
which the manure was put was very sandy, and conse¬ 
quently much injured by the drouth, I think we ought 
to be pretty well satisfied of its extraordinary produc¬ 
tiveness, and the more so as it yielded twice as much 
per acre, as four or five acres of another kind in the 
same field where the land was equally good—although 
part of its extra yield may be ascribed to better culti¬ 
vation, the other being cultivated on shares.” 0C?'Thc 
ears of corn sent us with the above, are the same as the 
Chinese tree corn sold by Mr. Thorburn, of this city. 
Mr. J. W. Poinier, of Morristown, N. J., says : “ I 
planted six acres of the tree corn, and obtained nearly 
500 bushels of corn in the ear, or about 90 bushels to 
the acre. It was planted on sod ground, plowed in the 
spring, and manured with poudrette, about one gill to 
the hill. I dropped the corn on the top of the manure. 
In the same field, I raised from 2^ acres of White Flint, 
250 bushels, and a very superior corn to the Chinese. 
I made a large experiment with the tree corn for the 
express purpose of testing it with my other corn, and 
I have come to the conclusion that no more of it will 
grow on my farm ” 
“ T. A.” of Flushing, L. I. says : “ I will briefly 
state the yield of my crop of this year. From a piece 
of ground containing about 2^ acres, we gathered 2S0 
bushels of ears, which is at the rate of 112 bushels to 
the acre • it is generally allowed that two bushels of 
ears will’yield one bushel of shelled corn ; the Chinese 
will yield two quarts over the bushel. It is a 12 row¬ 
ed indented corn, weighing 56 pounds per bushel. 
There is generally two ears on a stalk, sometimes three, 
and there has been four found on a stalk, although the 
last mentioned number is more rare. We have raised 
the above corn for several years, and I think it is more 
profitable than any other. I have no doubt there has 
been other varieties of corn sold for the Chinese, which 
having failed in answering the expectations of those that 
have cultivated them, it has led many intelligent farm¬ 
ers to believe that the Chinese corn is all a humbug, 
which is indeed far from it.” 
Board and Stone Fence* 
(Section of Board Fence. — Fig. 16.) 
If a poor farmer happens to have a good fence it is 
good luck, but it is considered an indispensable item for 
a good farmer to have a good fence. In my travels I 
have frequently noticed in the construction of board 
fences a failure both for cheapness and durability. The 
common practice of putting a post at the center of the 
boards and of making the fence too high, and of using 
common rails and Avide boards for fences are material 
objections. Where three posts are setto one board and 
one or more are raised by frost or gets out of place, it 
must give way either by splitting the boards or breaking 
the nails ; on repairing it, the board must be taken from 
the posts, and a loss sustained, in breaking of boards 
and nails. High fences and wide boards will sooner get 
out of order by the action of every Avind. 
The above cut (Fig. 16,) Avill better illustrate the 
plan that I would recommend for the construction of a 
common field fence. Such an one may be racked about 
or forced up by frost, then replaced Avith despatch, and 
drove home Avith a beetle or other Aveight Avithout inju¬ 
ring the fence or nails materially. 
I have my logs cut from ten to eleven feet long, boards 
from seven to eight inches wide, an inch and one-fourth 
thick ■ battens A B C to each post of the same ma¬ 
terial, four feet long ; oak pins suitable for inch and 
one-quarter bore, or that which is cheaper, cat spikes, 
weighing about four to the pound ; three spikes or 
pins may be drove through the battens and boards as 
at A B, or under the board as at C, each end of the 
board should extend by the post. A fence of this de¬ 
scription made of four boards, eight inches in width, six 
inches asunder ; from the ground to the first board, four 
inches space, will raise a fence four feet four inches 
high. 
I use the same kind of boards, posts and fastenings, 
for a half wall, laid three feet high ; the first board 
should be placed close to the wall, the space between 
this and the upper one should be eight or nine inches, 
that sheep may the sooner attempt, but in vain, to creep 
through, instead of elevating his mind any higher, 
Avhich he will do, if the boards are near together. 
For those Avho may have a stout fence thrown up 
by frost, I Avill suggest an idea of replacing it; first 
block up the fence, then dig doAvn by the side and un¬ 
der the posts the depth required ; then with a few hands 
it may be carefully let down to its former position. 
To prevunt frost from raising a post of any kind, first 
sink the hole from tAvo and a half to three and a half 
feet deep, sufficiently large to admit cobble stone around 
the post, Avhich must be drove Avith an iron bar until 
the space is filled, and use no dirt except about four 
inches to cover the surface. 
A farmer near me says that posts should be set Avith 
the top down. If thus more durable, I can account for 
it only by supposing that the moisture at the bottom is 
not conveyed upvvard so readily through the pores of 
the wood. I have set four Avliite oak gate posts four 
feet deep, two of them Avith the top doAvn, and marked 
them for an experimental trial; it possibly may be of 
some use to the rising generation, if not directly for my 
benefit. •— 
Churning' Milk in Mexico. 
Many patents haAm been granted for various kinds of 
churns in our yankee land, Avhich probably in most cases 
originated from those Avho Avere accustomed to the 
“good old AA r ay,” but it strikes me that the Mexican 
churn beats all your yankee inventions for ease, plea¬ 
sure, and saving of time. The method as communica¬ 
ted to me by Joseph Greenham, a merchant of Vera 
Cruz, is : to enclose tAvo tin cans in a green coav hide, 
the size of them to correspond to the quantity of milk ; 
the hide Avill shrink on drying and adhere tight to the 
cans, and being placed one on each side of a trotting 
horse, it has the appearance of saddle-bags ; Avhen filled 
nearly full Avith milk, the Mexican has only to mount 
the steed and ride into toivn from Mediling to Vera 
Cruz, the distance eight miles ; the motion of the horse 
effects the separation of the butter from the milk, and 
the rider has only to pocket the cash for his buttermilk 
and butter and at his leisure Avend his way home. 
Yours, S. W. JEWETT. 
Weybridge, Vt. Jan. 1841. 
On the Culture of Wheat. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker— I have for some time 
past, observed several complaints in the papers, of 
the injury done to the Avheat crops by the “ Hessian fly ,” 
and from what I have seen, I am induced to think 
that it is the farmer's fault if that “ fly” does his wheat 
an injury . As you now have my opinion, I will show 
you hoAV I came to that conclusion. 
When I began to manage the farm whereon I now 
live, twenty-one years ago, I had read and heard a 
great deal of the ravages of the fly, and of the differ¬ 
ent “ soaks” for the seed to prevent the injury, borne 
would find a certain preventive in lime water $ others 
in a solution of nitre ; others in strong brine, &c. Ac. 
and all said to be from actzial experiment, and all based 
on the idea that the egg or nit from which the fly 
came, was carried into the ground, in the fuzzy end ot 
the grain. For the purpose of trying the different soaks, 
I prepared some seed wheat in each kind of soak that I 
had heard or read of ; a part of all the seed I had so pre¬ 
pared, I sowed in a lot near the house, (about the mid¬ 
dle of September,) keeping each kind of soak by itself^ 
the remainder of the seed I solved on cotton, which I 
had floating on water in glass vessels in my house. That 
on the cotton came up about the same time as that which 
AA r as soAvn in the ground. I let it all stand until about 
the 25th of Oct. when I took up nearly an equal quan¬ 
tity of the plants, from the different kinds of soaks that 
Avas sown in the lot, and of those that were soAvn on 
the cotton. I then split the plants from the root to the 
lop, and placed them successively under a strong mic¬ 
roscope, and to my surprise, nearly every plant that 
came from the lot was perforated near the top of the 
ground, and had from three to eight eggs or nits in each, 
while those taken from the cotton had no perforation nor 
nits about them. This satisfied me that the cause of 
the fly was not carried into the ground by the seed. I 
then tried some of the wheat under the glass, but could 
not find any thing like an egg or nit about it, and I 
came to the conclusion that if I kept my wheat out of 
the ground till after a few good white frosts, (which 
would likely destroy Avhat flies there was,) I should not 
be troubled by them, and from that time to this I have 
never sown my wheat until in October, and I have never 
found my grain hurt by the fly, although I have not 
omitted soAving Avheat for eighteen years. From this I con¬ 
clude, that the farmer who sows his wheat before some 
good frosts, and thereby makes his Avheat fields look 
very fine in the fall, offers the fly a fine shelter for their 
eggs, and invites them to destroy his grain. 
Respectfully yours, L. 
Hamburgh, N. J. Jan. 1841. 
Culture of the Sugar Beet. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker—I have tried during 
the four years past, various modes of cultivating the 
Sugar Beet. On our soils, Avhich we call red land, but 
which I suppose you Avould call alluvial, the following 
plan I find the best. I work my ground until it is Avell 
pulverized, Avith a good supply of manure if it is poor. 
I then dravr furrows about tAvo feet apart, into 
Avhich I put a reasonable quantity of manure. I then 
run my ploAV around both sides of the furrow, which 
Avill cover the manure and raise it on a ridge. I plant 
the seed from ten to tAvelve inches apart on the ridge. 
In this way I have been tolerably successful. Last year 
I had an extraordinary crop, but I did not take time to 
ascertain the number of bushels or tons to the acre. 
This year I had tAvo acres, and got tAventy-six tons, 
though I do not call it more than half a crop, it having 
been a A r ery dry season. PETER DIEHL. 
New Oxford, Pa. Dec. 21, 1840. 
LARGS FIGS. 
Messrs. Editors —Mr. Jabe Pierce of this place, a 
few days since killed a pig 9 months and 10 days old, 
Avhich Aveighed 272k lbs. It Avas one quarter blood 
Berkshire. Its grand-father on its mother’s side, must 
have been, I think, the original from Avhich Mr. Allen 
dreAV his picture of the Land-pike ; he weighed Avhen 
killed, betAveen 3 and 400 lbs., with very ordinary feed. 
The only Avay his oAvner could keep him confined, Avas 
by tying his hind legs and putting him in a pen 8 or 9 
feet high. What do you think of crossing the Berkshire 
Avith the native—will it not produce a larger, and for or¬ 
dinary farmers, a better breed? The experiment of 
Mr. Pierce Avould lead one to form this theory. 
I observe conflicting communications in regard to the 
value of sugar beets as a food for hogs. We used about 
100 bushels last year, and Avere so Avell pleased, that we 
raised some 4 or 500 bushels this year, Avhich Ave are 
noAv feeding to our hogs, 13 in number ; Ave commenced 
feeding the first of December, and thus far have found 
no reason to condemn the beet; our hogs not only live, 
but gain finely. In the spring we Avill communicate the 
result of our experiment. M. Y. T. 
New Lebanon, N. Y. Jan. 4, 1841. 
Messrs. Editors —I killed a pig the 8th inst. Avhich 
Avas ten months and eight days old ; he Aveighed 266 
lbs. neat. He Avas half Bedford, one-fourth Chester, 
and one-fourth what is called no-bone. I did not com¬ 
mence feeding him until he Avas four months old. It is 
the opinion of my neighbors, if he had been half Berk¬ 
shire and half Bedford, he Avould have Aveighed upivards 
of 300 lbs. I fed mostly on slops. W. L. SMITH, 
Smithsville P. O. Powhattan Co. Va., Dec. 23, 1840. 
