112 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
©righted Communications. 
“In Agriculture, Experience is of great value— Theories of 
little, excepting as they are directly deducible from actual ex¬ 
periments and well attested facts.” 
Wheat Culture in Vermont. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —The communications of 
my agricultural brethren, their experience and experiments, 
compose to me an interesiing department in the Cultivator. 
If some of my experiments should be thought worth commu¬ 
nicating to the friends of agriculture, through the col¬ 
umns of the Cultivator, they are '.at your service. That my 
location may be distinctly understood by the distant readers 
of your widely extended publication, I will premise by saying 
that I write from the east shore of Lake Champlain, lat. 44® 
N. We have a small tract of country here that was once 
noted for growing fine winter wheat. For thirteen years past 
it has almost entirely been destroyed by the weevil, when an 
attempt has been made to grow it. 
A partial description of the insect, may here perhaps be in¬ 
teresting to some of your readers. The nit is supposed to be 
deposited by a small fly at the time, or soon after, the wheat 
is in the blow. Before the kernel has attained half its growth, 
the insect, which is of a reddish color, and not larger than the 
point of a fine needle, may be discovered preying upon the 
berry of the wheat. I have often counted forty and upwards 
about one kernel. When but two or three only are about the 
kernel, it will sometimes mature with but a partial injury. 
The first season this insect made its appearance in our wheat, 
I had thirty acres completely ruined. Since that time I have 
made but slight attempts to cultivate it. Some of my neigh¬ 
bors continued to grow a sufficient quantity for their bread, 
on elevated limestone ridges ; which induced me to make 
another trial. I accordingly procured some of the flint wheat, 
rolled it in lime, and sowed about two acres the last days of 
August,,1835. It got well rooted in the fall, which, I consid¬ 
er, insures an early growth in the spring; it came to maturity 
early for this latitude, was but slightly injured by the weevil, 
and yielded at harvesting 25 bushles per acre. 
Sept. 8th, 1836,1 sowed one acre well summer fallowed, 
and a promising piece for wheat; 12th Sept, following, I sow¬ 
ed one and a half acres of new land; the soil of both pieces 
was clay; the seed, as usual, rolled in lime ; the weather was 
dry and unfavorable to its growth in the early part of fall: it 
came on late in the spring, and in the end was entirely ruin¬ 
ed by the weevil. Aug. 28th, 1837, I sowed four acres to 
wheat, well fallowed and manured : the weather was favora¬ 
ble to its growth in the fall; soil mostly clay; in some parts a 
little gravel and slate; it got a fine growth in the fall, came 
forward rapidly in the spring, and that on the weakest and 
warmest soil composing about one-half of the field, produced 
a middling growth of straw; came to maturity very early, and 
yielded thirty bushels of beautiful wheat to the acre. The 
remaining half of the field, which was much stronger soil, 
grew heavy straw, lodged, and consequently did not ripen so 
early; the wheat shrunk, and was slightly injured by the wee¬ 
vil ; yielded ten bushels per acre. Oct. 4th of the same year, 
I sowed one and a half acres of new land, soil clay, covered 
with a coat of rich black mold; the wheat came up soon, 
and grew finely in the fall, produced a beautiful growth of 
straw the following season, and came on just in time to be en¬ 
tirely destroyed by the insect. 20th Nov. following, I sowed 
one acre of new land adjoining the above, with the hope that 
it would freeze in, and not germinate until spring: the wea¬ 
ther being unsteady, it proved unfavorable to the experiment; 
a part sprouted in the fall, some in the warm weather which 
occurred during the winter months, some was washed bare and 
picked up by the birds in the spring, and at last from lj bushels 
sown to the acre, there was left but here and there a stalk to 
grow; which came in late, and not injured in the least by the 
insect. 
Sept. 14th, 1838, I sowed two acres of new land, soil clay; 
it obtained a fair growth in the fall, produced a middling 
f rowth of straw the following season, and was so far injured 
y the insect as to yield but 7 bushels to the acre. The sum¬ 
mer of 1839, I had no ground that could seasonably be prepar¬ 
ed for wheat, and being by this time fully convinced that late 
sown wheat would stand a greater chance to be destroyed by 
the weevil than early sown, I then decided to sow no 
more, unless it could be done early in the season. Aug. 18th, 
1840, I-sowed acres, well summer fallowed and manured, 
part of which is a stiff clay, and part lies upon a stony ridge. 
The season was dry, consequently the wheat did not. vegetate 
as evenly as might be wished. It got a strong root in the fall, 
and spread so-as to almost cover the ground. I suffered five 
calves and 100 sheep to run on it 3or 4 days previous to the 
22d Nov., after which it was covered with snow and ice un¬ 
til about the 27th of March : the borders on three sides being 
still covered with snow drifts to the depth of 2 or 3 feet. The 
part which is uncovered at this time presents a strong healthy 
appearance, with prospects of an early and heavy growth of 
straw. If desirable, its farther progress shall be carefully 
observed, and faithfully communicated. 
The Egyptian, wild goose, or manv-headed wheat, (known 
by these different names) is a spring variety, more subject to 
blast than any wheat I have ever had any acquaintance with, 
hard to thrash, but seldom injured by the weevil.. The Ital¬ 
ian, also a spring variety, so far as I am acquainted with it, 
appears to succeed betier. The practice of sowing late, as 
adopted by Mr. Lofton, of Illinois, might do here if we were 
sure of a steady winter; still late sown is more subject to 
blast or rust here, than early sown. Also the practice of L. 
of Hamburgh, N. L. may ans wer the purpose in the case spoken 
of in the Feb. no., out ours is a different case, requiring dif¬ 
ferent treatment. Here, also, on our clay land, early sown is 
less subject to heave out by the frost in the fall or spring. 
Should the ravages of the weevil extend to the great wheat 
growing districts of the west, which I know of no reason 
why it may not, this great staple of the nation may be cut 
off; the interests of the people in those sections in a measure 
ruined, and we of the North East., look to Europe as we now 
look to the west, for our bread; unless some remedy may be 
devised to avoid its depredations. To illustrate the increas¬ 
ing estimation of the Cultivator with us, permit me to state, 
that I commenced taking it with the volume in which closed 
the labors of the much lamented Judge Buel: The next year 
another number was taken by an agricultural friend; and the 
present year it affords me the highest satisfaction to witness 
12 numbers sent to our office, and our agent informs me that 
several numbers more will soon be called for. 
Your agricultural friend, J. N. SMITH. 
Chimney faint, Vermont, April 7, 1841. 
Farmers’ Mew Country Church St School Room. 
The following cuts represent the scheme of a church and 
school-house, measuring thirty-two feet front, and fifty feet 
flank, and eighteen feet from the floor to the eaves, which may 
be erected in the center of a thinly inhabited town, or that por¬ 
tion of a small society which is destitute of a house of worship 
and school-house; where the means are not sufficient to go along 
with a church, but uniting with a school district, the funds em¬ 
ployed to erect a school-house, and if to be placed near the cen¬ 
ter of a town where a town-room is needed, still further aid 
might he had by raising a tax on the whole population for the 
benefit of the town; all the means thus raised, would be ade¬ 
quate to build a convenient and comfortable house on the pre¬ 
ceding plan; or it would answer with few alterations, to ac¬ 
commodate two schools on the ground floor. And on occasions 
when it was necessary to accommodate a large assembly, by re¬ 
moving a partition, described below, the two rooms would be 
thrown into one. It would be better to construct the outside 
walls of brick or stone. Each window should have shutters; 
the lower half might be open or closed, as seen in the eleva¬ 
tion, fig. 60. But the upper blinds should be made fast and 
[Fig. 60.] 
stationary. These blinds should be painted green, that the ex¬ 
cess of light might not prove prejudicial to children. The win¬ 
dows should be made so that the upper sash canbe lowered, or 
the lower sash raised. 
_, TV Ilf 
[Fig. 61.] 
Fig. 61, represents the ground plan of church and school¬ 
room. A, pulpit; the ceiling back of this is gently curved for¬ 
wards, intersecting the main wall near the windows, so as to 
form the vestry-room, B,.and the library-room, C; this concave 
ceiling assists in producing sound, which makes it easier for 
the speaker. D, place for a stove. E, wood-room or closet, or 
this space may be used for a staiiway leading to a gallery for 
singers, if necessary, which will extend over a part of the 
school-room, above the petition I, I. F, entry, which leads to 
the church-room and school-room. G. teacher’s table, on a 
raised platform one foot in height, which extends the width 
of the school-room, twenty-two feet: here is the place to 
hang a movable black-board in front of the scholars’ desks on 
the movable partition, I, I, which is made of folding or slide 
doors nine feet high. H, the place for a stove; the pipe from 
this to intersect the pipe in the church over the stove, D. d, 
outside door; w , w, w, i^c. windows. 
Fig. 62, “repre¬ 
sents an end view 
of the pupil’s desks 
and seats. J,pupils’ 
seats. K, shape of 
- the board or plank 
which forms the 
[Fig. 62. J side and support of 
the desks. A light green is, perhaps the best color for the scho¬ 
lars’ desks and seats, as it is more grateful than any other to 
the eye.” The seats for the small scholars are not represented 
here, but they should have backs, and, if needed, be mova¬ 
ble, and placed as the general arrangement of the school shall 
render convenient. 
The height of the school-room sixteen feet, unless there 
should be constructed over the room a gallery for the church 
choir. If that be the case, then ten feet in height over the mas¬ 
ter’s table G. The ceiling might be raised higher as it recedes 
to the wall over the stove, H. Light may be admitted into the 
school-room through a window in the partition wall front of 
the window, at F. Yours, S. W. JEWETT. 
-, 
-, 
kA r- 
Kf' r— 
( U 
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f 
Experiments in the use of X»ime. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —Having heard much said 
and seen much written upon the value of lime, I have been 
induced to make a trial of its supposed virtues, and have sat¬ 
isfied myself upon that subject. The first experiment that I 
made with lime was upon a field of potatoes, a part of which 
was limed, and at digging time I could perceive no difference 
in the field. The lime I used was newly burned and slaked 
upon the field at the time it was used. I put about a half a 
pint of lime to each hill, first dropping the lime and then the 
potatoes. The soil on which it was used approached to loam 
and was in a high state of cultivation. I next made an ex¬ 
periment upon the same crop and in the same manner, on 
an upland stony soil of a poor quality, and which was attend¬ 
ed with the same result. I next made an experiment with 
lime by mixing it with swamp muck, having read of its value 
in forming a compost. I applied the compost to a part of the 
field last mentioned, but could perceive no more beneficial 
effects than where the muck was alone used. 
. By the way, I would recommend to those who have a depo¬ 
sit of muck near them, to make a free use of it upon their 
upland stony ground, as they will find it a most valuable ma¬ 
nure. The course I pursue is to cart it out in the fall upon the 
field on which it is intended to be used, and drop it in small 
heaps so as to be subject more directly during winter to the 
pulverizing influence of the frost. 
I next experimented with lime upon a field, a part of which 
was sown with wheat and a part with rj^e. The soil was 
low but well drained, and of a black color, and was 
thought to be of a good quality. The result of this experi¬ 
ment was that there was no perceptible difference between 
the limed and unlimed wheat and rye. The lime was spread 
from a cart with a shovel as evenly as possible, and in fair 
quantities. Such has been the result of my experiments; 
and now I wish to state an experiment of a neighbor. The 
soil on which he experimented was a stiff sour clay, and up¬ 
on which nothing would grow but a kind of furze grass, the 
very picture of sterility. It has been limed, and plowed, and 
a tolerable crop of potatoes have been raised on the limed, 
while on a small piece of the unlimed, although the same 
course was taken in the cultivation, there was not a return of 
the seed. 
The result of these experiments appears to show that lime 
may be beneficially used to correct the acidity of land, but that it is 
not a manure, whatever fine spun theories may say to the con¬ 
trary.— Tivoli, N. Y. April 9, 1840. G. C. 
----—,- - — 
Artificial Watering Places, 
Messrs. Editors of the Cultivator —Mr. William Robert¬ 
son of Fishkill Landing, Dutchess county, one of our most 
successful farmers, has communicated to me the following 
mode, successfully practiced by himself of supplying with wa¬ 
ter, fields destitute of springs, ponds or rivulets. The farm late¬ 
ly occupied by him is now in the hands of its proprietor, J. D. 
L. Verplanck, Esq., where the watering places constructed 
by Mr. R., may still be seen. The situation of the farm is 
upon the whole favorable for the purpose, and the plan may 
therefore seem to require further tests by experiment, before it 
can be considered invariably successful. He says it was en¬ 
tirely an accidental discovery : he one morning found one of 
his calves drowned in a barrel sunk in the usual way for the 
purpose of collecting water from a spring. The water had 
sunk to near the bottom of the barrel, and the animal in 
reaching down for it had lost its balance, and falling, was un¬ 
able to extricate itself. Vexed at his loss, he immediately or¬ 
dered the cavity to be filled up; this was accordingly done by 
throwing in a parcel of round pebble stones, which were ly¬ 
ing near at hand. The next day in passing by, he saw to his 
surprise, that the water had risen over the tops of the stones 
although no rain had fallen, and the season had been very 
dry. 
The idea then struck him (manifestly erroneous, as the bar¬ 
rel is not water tight in these cases) that it was similar to the 
raising of water in a pitcher by throwing in pebbles, and he 
determined to make the experiment more complete. Accor¬ 
dingly the barrel was taken out and the hole deepened with 
very little appearance of water, and he stuck his crow-bar 
down so as to make several deep holes; then replaced the 
barrel, packing it well around with earth, and afterwards fill¬ 
ed in the barrel as before with the pebbles.. In a short time 
he had the pleasure of finding the water oozing in and gradu¬ 
ally raising over the stones until it stood permanently some 
inches over the surrounding level. He repeated the trial in 
several other fields, and always with success, even in places 
where, on first digging down, there was not the least appear¬ 
ance of moisture, much less of water; he considers that the 
appearance of springiness is of no consequence, but that wa¬ 
ter will at length show itself in the barrel in all cases, and 
will finally rise eighteen or twenty inches above the sur¬ 
face apparently increasing in quantity for a year or two. 
Such is Mr. Robinson’s statement, and he is fully entitled 
to our confidence, yet I do not believe that this is an infallible 
method of obtaining water in every situation, strata or soil; it 
nevertheless appears to me reasonable to suppose that it may 
prove of great service in many places at present destitute of 
water, without resorting to expensive boring, digging wells or 
making artificial ponds; the last especially from the severity 
of our seasons, requiring great labor and care in their con¬ 
struction to prevent their being affected by frost or drouth. 
I do not know whether the following suggestions will throw 
any light on the rationale of this simple process, which at 
first sight appears scarcely entitled to notice. The driest soil 
(to appearance completely dessicated) nevertheless contains 
some moisture, quickly attracts more from the atmosphere, 
and, if collected, from a large body of earth, it would form 
a considerable rill. If we suppose one drop gradually to distil 
and roll over into the excavation, its fall and its attraction will 
put in motion the next particle and the next, and so on 
as long as there are particles to be affected, and this takes 
place not only in one right line, but extends in every direc¬ 
tion ; at first only those flow towards the aperture which are 
in a horrizontal plane with the upper level of the vessel, but 
by degrees the higher strata are affected, and their pressure 
from above in a tight vessel or tube (fur the sides of the bar¬ 
rel become tight by the pressure and packing of the earth and 
swelling of the staves with moisture) is at length sufficient to 
force up and sustain a column of water something above the 
surface of the adjacent soil. I presume, were the commu¬ 
nication to be cut off by any means with lands, though 
distant, higher than the surface of the ground around the bar¬ 
rel., it would not rise above the rim. Probably with a neater 
adjustment and a perfectly water tight apparatus, a still great¬ 
er elevation might be obtained. The origin of natural 
springs is accounted for in precisely the same way; the only 
difference is that we here furnish an artificial reservoir for the 
almost imperceptible arteries of the earth which otherwise 
would steal away to some natural orifices issuing at the sur¬ 
face. The stones assist in enabling a small quantity of wa¬ 
ter to rise to a higher level; perhaps their natural coldness 
aid in condensing terrestrial vapour. 
It may be considered analagous to the creating an issue in 
