THE CULTIVATOR. 
107 
In districts where wheat and clover constitute the 
crops grown, and form the only rotation, the curing 
of clover for hay is an important operation. If al¬ 
lowed to stand too long, the leaves fall off and 
nothing but the naked stem is left; and if the curing 
is carelessly or improperly performed, the same re¬ 
sult ensues, thus materially lessening its value for 
hay. We have found the best time for cutting clover, 
to be when the heads have partially changed their color, 
but the leaves remain fresh and green. Cut at this 
time, and cured in the cock, with as little exposure to 
the sun and wind, or being shaken as little as possible, 
it makes an excellent hay, and particularly so, if when 
seeded down, there was a good quantity of timothy 
seed mixed with the clovers. In curing hay in cocks, 
the grass mown in the morning, after it is wilted in the 
sun and dried, is in the afternoon, and before any dew 
falls, put up into cocks as high in proportion to the 
base, as is consistent with safety, and the air will cir¬ 
culate more freely through such, than if spread over a 
great extent of ground. They may stand in this way 
untouched one or two days, be the weather what it may, 
but usually, if the weather is good, the cocks are open¬ 
ed on the third day and aired, when they are again put 
up and stand until the fifth day, when after being open¬ 
ed and dried, the hay is usually fit for the stack. Hay 
undergoes in curing, a slight heating or fermentation, 
and put up in this way, it cures as rapidly as if expo¬ 
sed to the sun, while the crumbling of the leaves conse¬ 
quent on exposure and frequent turning is wholly avoid¬ 
ed. But in whatever way grass is cured, it should be 
done so effectually as not to heat and mold in the mow 
or stack, a change which renders it worthless for nutri¬ 
tion, and injurious to the health of such animals as are 
fed upon it. 
Where meadows are made smooth, as they always 
should be, the revolving horse rake will be found a la¬ 
bor-saving implement of great value ; and where this 
cannot well be used, the single horse rake should al¬ 
ways be found. Hay making requires labor enough at 
the best, and every saving should be adopted by the 
farmer. 
Canada Thistle. —Do not forget to Avage an uncea¬ 
sing warfare with this pest of the farmer. If in your 
pastures, cut them down to the ground frequently; if 
in your hoed or root crops, be careful not to let one es¬ 
cape ; and if after the usual culture is over, you find 
them springing up, go over the crop again, and let the 
extermination be thorough. Above all things, never 
allow a thistle to ripen its seeds on your farm. We 
have seen some farmers let their thistles alone to so late 
a period, that they Avould perfect their seeds after being 
mown, and thus the labor Avas in a great measure lost. 
Corn.—T his is usually “ laid by” in this month, that 
is, the culture of it ceases, and it is left to ripen its 
grain undisturbed. There are too many fields hoAvev- 
er, in which, owing to the ground being improperly pre¬ 
pared, the lateness of planting, or the unfavorable spring 
weather, the corn maintains a doubtful struggle with 
the Aveeds, and where an extra hoeing Avould be of de¬ 
cided benefit. The corn crop cannot be kept too clean, 
nor can the earth be stirred about the plants too fre¬ 
quently. If therefore you have no time to hoe, take 
your cultivator and run it backwards and fonvards once 
or tAvice between the roAvs, and you Avill find the Aveeds 
will be feAver, the ground finer, the danger from drouth 
less, and the corn itself to groAV more rapidly. We 
must help our corn crop forAvard this year as much as 
possible, or the frosts of autumn may find it still soft 
and unripe. 
Turners.— July is the month for sowing the English 
turnep, and during the fore part of it, the Stvedes or 
Ruta baga may be soAvn Avith a reasonable prospect of 
success, and Ave advise those whose corn prospect is 
doubtful, to try a piece of ground Avith these valuable 
roots. The English or common flat turnep, requires a 
clean soil, and one containing much vegetable mold will 
be better than any other. Newly cleared lands on this 
account, usually give great crops of turneps. Any land, 
hoAvever, that is sufficiently rich, Avill grorv turneps, 
and every farmer should raise some for use in the fam¬ 
ily, or for his stock. It is a good plan to sow over the 
young plants as soon as they come out of the ground 
with soot, ashes, &c., in order to keep off the fly. 
Beets and Carrots, for use late in autumn, may be 
sown, and will frequently make good roots for preser¬ 
vation in winter. Gardeners sometimes sow peas for a 
late crop, in the early part of this month ; but if soavu, 
they should be soaked in soft or slightly warm water, 
for six or eight hours previous. Cabbage plants Avill 
do well, if transplanted this month, but require to be 
examined frequently to guard against the grub. This 
depredator rarely does much mischief after the middle 
of July. 
Saving Seeds and Herbs— Every farmer should as 
far as he can, raise and save his own seeds ; and to do 
this, they must be attended to in their season. There 
are many herbs too, which are required for domestic 
purposes, such as Burnet, Mint, Sage, Parsley, Sweet 
Marjoram, Savory, Fennel, &c. ; and many Avhich are 
useful for medicinal purposes among animals, such as 
Tanzy, Smartweed, Wormwood. &c., all of Avhich 
should be saved when their peculiar properties are the 
most fully developed, and this is about the time when 
they are in full floiver. Herbs should be dried in the 
shade, Avhere the air is pure, and be kept free from all 
moisture after being cured 
English Corn Laws. 
Great Britain at the present moment is shaken to its 
center by a struggle more fierce than any that has oc¬ 
curred since the passage of the reform bill. The Min¬ 
istry have announced their intention to fix the duties on 
grain at certain rates, Avhich it is clear will admit of ex¬ 
tensive importations, or in other words, to abolish the 
corn larv system of the kingdom. This has brought out 
the whole of the landed and farming interest in violent 
opposition; as it is well understood the exorbitant pri¬ 
ces which have prevailed for years, and on which the 
present system of English farming is mainly based, 
could not be maintained without the protection of such 
laws. On the other hand, the manufacturing and com¬ 
mercial interests are ranging themselves on the side of 
Ministers, and as the Queen is said to favor them, 
it is probable they will eventually succeed, although 
present appearances indicate a prolonged struggle. 
The questions at issue are very important to this 
country. It is the monopoly of the home market that 
shuts out our Avheat from England ; and the abolition 
or modification of the corn laws would open an exten¬ 
sive market to us at once. It is the first time in the 
history of England that the aristocracy or the land hold¬ 
ers, have found themselves fairly brought into opposi¬ 
tion Avith the mass of laborers, manufacturers, and com¬ 
mercial men, and the result can hardly be doubtful. 
The necessities of the government have led to this 
course, as it is only two years since the present pre¬ 
mier, Lord Melbourne, declared a repeal of the corn 
laAvs impossible. The discussion has opened the whole 
range of commercial restrictions and free trade policy, 
and promises, even should it lead to the overthrow of 
the present ministry, a thing by no means improbable, 
to lead to a better understanding and a more correct 
application of these important principles. 
The American Institute, and Agriculture. 
An important proposition has been submitted to the 
Agricultural Societies of the counties in the vicinity of 
NeAv-York, by the managers of that Association, which 
is, that the county societies co-operate with the Insti¬ 
tute, unite their funds, and make their displays, and 
award their premiums at the annual Institute Fair to 
be held in October. 
There appears to be no serious obstacles to such a 
concentration of means ; as an arrangement might be 
effected by an alteration in the by-laws of the Institute, 
making the officers of the county Societies members, 
and thus avoiding a non-compliance with the act grant¬ 
ing to the societies, the sums proposed to be distribu¬ 
ted. The only question of importance to be decided, is, 
whether the agriculture of the several counties that 
should so unite Avith the Institute, would be as much 
benefitted, as by a Fair, exhibition, and distribution of 
Premiums at home. Would the mass of the farmers in 
these counties be as likely to be interested in the re¬ 
sults? Would they be as likely to attend at NeAV-York, 
as at a meeting in their several counties? And Avould 
the distribution of premiums at a single point, excite as 
much emulation, and exert as Avide an influence as if 
made at many? These are some of the queries which 
such a proposition naturally excites, and which appear 
to deserve a serious consideration before the idea of se¬ 
parate county societies in the southern district is aban¬ 
doned. 
Of the attractions of the Fair at the Institute, and of the 
thefavorable influence ithas exerted, there can bebutone 
opinion ; and there is as little doubt that with an increase 
of means, will be a corresponding increase of activity, 
attraction and usefulness. NeAv-York too, is a central 
point, the facilities of communication in every quarter 
are great, and the farmers of the neighboring counties 
are in the habit of frequenting the city for the purpose 
of market and trade. It may be true that the greater 
part of those Avho would attend a county exhibition 
Avould attend the Institute Fair, but it is possible also, 
that many would be glad to compete for premiums at 
home, that would find it inconvenient or impossible to 
attend at Neiv-York. So far as Ave have been able to 
observe, the number , and not the magnitude of the pre¬ 
miums, has called out the greatest number of competit¬ 
ors ; and whether the means of the several southern 
counties are concentrated, or Avhether they are left to 
the disposal of the county societies, this is a point that 
should not be overlooked. 
In making these remarks, Ave are influenced only by 
a desire that our farming friends in the southern coun¬ 
ties should expend the bounty of the State in a manner 
that shall the most effectually promote the interests of 
agriculture. For this cause, the Institute has already 
done much ; with the means placed at its disposal by 
the State, it will do more ; and should the managers of 
the county Societies, after proper deliberation, conclude 
to accept the proposition of the Institute, the Fair of 
October Ave venture to predict will be an exhibition 
hitherto unrivalled in this country. 
The 2’ilbert. 
In a late number of that excellent Journal, the Bos¬ 
ton “ Magazine of Horitculture,” &c., there is a paper 
by Mr. Downing of Newburgh, N. Y., on the cultiva¬ 
tion of this nut. From the great quantities annually 
imported, there can be little doubt a ready market 
would be found for the product of a filbert garden or or¬ 
chard, and the ease and certainty with which they may 
be grown, should recommend them to favor. 
Mr. Downing recommends a soil naturally dry rather 
than moist, but a dry gravelly loam, or sandy loam is 
preferable. They will succeed however, in any good 
soil. The kinds preferred by Mr. D. for cultivation in 
this country, are the Cosford, Frizzled, andNorthamp- 
ton Prolific. There are other Amrieties, but these have 
been well tested, and will abundantly repay the grow¬ 
er. The cultivation of such nuts is a great object in 
some parts of England, and the average crop is consid¬ 
ered about 800 lbs. per acre, though at times, when the 
soil and season is favorable, more than three times that 
quantity have been gathered. 
Hilling' Canada Thistles. 
Mr. Chapman, of this city, (Albany,) informs farm¬ 
ers, 
“ That if they will cut up the Canada thistles one and a half 
inches below the surface of the ground, and pull them up Avith 
the left hand as they cut them, in the full and old of the moon 
in May, June, July, August, and September, they certainly 
will destroy them; they may miss some in going over the 
ground, even the first, second, or third time; but be sure to 
look your ground over every old and full moon, till you knotv 
you have destroyed them. I have destroyed more than fifty 
thousand the last tAvo years, and new there is not one growing 
on the ground I have been cutting them from.” 
We have great faith in the course recommended by 
Mr. Chapman, as Ave have frequency destroyed smail 
patches of the thistle ourselves by repeated cuttings or 
pullings in a single season. But we paid no attention 
to the moon, and have not a doubt the process would be 
just as effectual if performed in the netv, as in the old 
of the moon. If plants are not alloAved to form leaAms, 
or in other words are not alloived to respire or breathe, 
they must die, and this prevention is not influenced by 
the old or the new moon. Farmers who find the this¬ 
tle just taking possession of their lands, cannot do bet¬ 
ter than to cut them frequently by hand ; where there 
are acres of them, repeated plowings or thorough sum¬ 
mer fallows must be resorted to for their destruction. 
The Sahlia, 
We have received from the Messrs. Prince of Flush¬ 
ing, Long Island, a catalogue of their magnificent col¬ 
lection of Dahlias, amounting to some 450 varieties, 
embracing all the most celebrated and choice kinds cul¬ 
tivated. This beautiful doAver, brought from Mexico, 
and of but recent introduction into the gardens of Eu¬ 
rope, bids fair to rival, if not to eclipse the Rose and 
the Tulip, that have so long held possession of the 
throne of beauty among the flowers. 
The dahlia is easily cultivated, and sIioavs a profu¬ 
sion of floAvers from June to October, making it in that 
respect, one of the most desirable of the flowering 
plants. As the plant in a rich soil groAvs to a large 
size, and requires to be supported, they should be 
planted at three or four feet from each other, that they 
may not be crowded at the time of blossoming. The 
dahlia Avould be more common than it is, were it not 
that considerable difficulty has been sometimes experi¬ 
enced in preserving the roots through our winters. The 
following directions of the Messrs. Prince, will perhaps 
obviate this evil. They say— 
“ Our practice in wintering dahlias is exceedingly simple. 
As soon as the frost has killed the tops, we cut them off and 
take up the roots, and then dry them for tAvo or three days in 
the sun, after Avhich we place them on shelves in a cellar, per¬ 
fectly dry and free from frost, where they remain until the pe¬ 
riod for spring planting. Moisture is destructive to them, and 
in a damp cellar or room they are liable to rot; but in a dry 
one, not a single one will be injured, if it is kept free from frost.” 
The culture of flowers is one of the most innocent and 
delightful of recreations, and Ave should esteem our¬ 
selves fortunate, could we aid in diffusing a taste for 
these beautiful productions of nature. 
Henrico (Ya.) A g. and SSort. Society. 
We perceive by the Richmond papers that this Soci¬ 
ety held its first Fair at Godden’s Spring a few weeks 
since, and that the meeting went off in the best manner. 
The Society Avas formed only some three months since, 
and seems to have sprung up at once into a most vigor¬ 
ous and healthy existence. The place selected for the 
meeting, was a beautiful one ; the day was fine ; the 
concourse of spectators, particularly ladies, great; the 
competitors for the liberal premiums offered, nume¬ 
rous ; the address of the right kind, practical and com¬ 
mon sense ; and the whole proceedings harmonious and 
gratifying. Premiums were awarded on the follotving 
articles :—Domestic Silk, Luxuriant FloAvers, Fruit, 
Horses, Jacks, Domestic suit, PIoavs, Cutting Machines, 
Corn Shellers, Wheat Machine and Fan, Domestic 
Wine, Milch Coavs, Bulls, Heifers, Boars Soa^s. 
The amount of stock exhibited, Avas great, and 
some of the animals very fine. There were quite a 
number of competitors for the premium on domestic 
wines ; and several superior samples Avere exhibited. 
If wine must he drank, we think it will he much better 
to make it ourselves, and use it pure and unadulterated, 
than to quaff the noxious compounds which are too fre¬ 
quently offered to the public as wine. The quantity of 
wine made in Ohio, according to the census, (about 
6,000 barrels,) far exceeds Avhat Ave had supposed pos¬ 
sible ; although atvare that the Stviss and German emi¬ 
grants had in many instances entered into the culture 
of the grape and the manufacture of wine. 
Old Virginia is a noble State; her soil is excellent; 
her climate mild and salubrious ; her facilities for trade, 
manufactures, and natugation, great; and if her sons 
will awake to the importance of her agriculture, if they 
Avill form such societies, and give them the life and spu; 
