116 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
The Herefords and Short Horns. 
Messrs. Editors of the Cultivatoi —I have been induced to 
take up my pen by the perusal of a controversy between 
Messrs. Randall, Hepburn and Sotham. I have been ac¬ 
quainted with the Hereford cattle for this last thirty years, as 
a grazier, dairyman and butcher. My father used to graze 
about fifty, and dairy about seventy cows, of different breeds, 
Long Horn, Short Horn and Herefords, in Oxfordshire, Eng¬ 
land. For feeding, the Herefords are not surpassed by any 
breed I have ever seen; for the dairy I do not say they are 
invariably good milkers, though there are many of them very 
good. I never kept an account of the produce of a single 
cow, but one of my neighbors says he knew a Hereford cow 
that made sixteen pounds of butter per week. As a butcher, 
which business I worked at in London, and afterwards fol¬ 
lowed in Berkshire for eight years, I say the Herefords cut 
the best stall of beef I ever put a knife in. Mr. Hepburn 
takes Youatt for his author; and by his description is led to 
believe the Herefords to have been a trifling breed as lately as 
six years ago. I know them to have been as good thirty 
years since as now; and whenever they have been shown 
against the Short Horns, have oftener gained the prize than 
their antagonists. Mr. Youatt must have been prejudiced in 
favor of the Short Horns, was ignorant of the qualities of the 
Herefords, or got his information from some one no better in¬ 
formed than himself. Mr. Hepburn very ingeniously endeav¬ 
ors to impose on his understanding by supposing the Here¬ 
fords of Mr. Sotham to be the produce of a stolen cross with 
the Durhams. I have no doubt but Mr. H.’s experience, if 
he lives long, will convince him that his supposition was erro¬ 
neous, and that he was misleading the judgment of the com¬ 
munity and doing injustice to the breeder and importer, by 
supposing them guilty of imposition. I should say as a breed¬ 
er, the Herefords need no such cross; but-1 should say as a 
breeder that many of the Durhams, some of even Herd Book 
pedigrees, would be materially improved by a cross with the 
Herefords, as having a tendency to lengthen the rump and 
widen the hip of those whose edge or round bones are wider 
than their hips, the rump short and low, the tail high, and 
the skin as tight over their rump as if stretched over it 
with a pair of pincers. Such animals have a thick heavy 
thigh, the thick coarse muscles running from the round bone 
to the hock, forming a thick coarse buttock, supported by a 
large boned, coarse leg; the sides, as Cully describes, being 
one laying of black flesh across another, the shoulder bones 
large, the points projecting. Such beasts are sure to be bad 
handlers; never get very thin, and never get fat; will get 
fleshy, but when it is on is no better than bull beef. With 
such animals, a cross from the Herefords would be a great im¬ 
provement. I have handled many Durhams with high pedi¬ 
grees, with all the above objections. I never yet put my hand 
on a Hereford that was not a good handler. My opinion of 
the Herefords is, that they are the nicest breed of cattle, ta¬ 
ken for all purposes, that walks the earth, and would have 
had some in Ohio long ago, if my means had been equal to 
my wishes. I remain, gentlemen, yours respectfully, 
WILLIAM KINGHAM. 
Springfield, Clark Co., Ohio, March 11, 1841. 
Grafting the Peach with Success. 
Messrs. Editors— I am not aware that any process has 
been devised lor grafting upon the peach stock, with any cer¬ 
tain prospect of success. Experimenters doubtless have of¬ 
ten succeeded in rearing grafts upon peach stocks, but more 
often failed. A gardener in my neighborhood informed me 
that he once graded upon one hundred peach stocks and all 
the grafts died, and most of the stocks. (He was always suc¬ 
cessful in grafting upon other kinds.) Last year I was in¬ 
duced to investigate the matter with a view to devise some 
me ans of obviating this failure, as it is desirable in many ca¬ 
ses to graft in lieu of budding, persuaded that although the 
discovery might be of no great practical utility, yet it would 
be an interesting acquisition to the science of arboriculture. 
The peach tree is of more rapid growth than any of our or¬ 
chard trees, and frequently with us, in congenial soils, the 
first year from the seed, attains the height of six feet, with 
stems from one inch to an inch and a half diameter. The 
circulation, of course, must be very active, and the sudden 
check from heading down such a tree, will, in many cases, 
destroy it. But should it live, the roots continuing in a state 
of activity, the cion is overflowed, as it were, by the sap ; 
that is, the sap flows so fast from the wounds, as to prevent 
the process of granulation, by which the cion is united to 
the stock. To graduate, then, the supply of sap to the wants 
of the cion, is the primary object, and the measures necessa¬ 
ry to secure this condition, are just those which tend to pre¬ 
serve the life of the stock after heading down. To carry my 
purpose into effect, I proceeded contrary to some of the ordi¬ 
nary rules for grafting. In the middle of July, I selected the 
cions from thrifty trees, vvith four or five eyes, taking care to 
choose those which contained leaf buds. The stocks chos¬ 
en, were moderately growing instead of thrifty stocks, and 
were trees of the growth of that season from the seed. Be¬ 
fore heading down, I passed a long sharp knife down entire¬ 
ly round the tree, and severed all the lateral roots at the dis¬ 
tance of three or four inches from the trunk, according to its 
growth. This done, the trees were headed down at a point 
where the stem was just the size of the cion, or a little larg¬ 
er, as the cions were inserted a little on one side of the pith. 
The insertions were made in the ordinary way of cleft graft¬ 
ing. The cions were then secured by a narrow strip of sheet 
lead, wound spirally over the whole length of the cleft, and a 
small ball of grafting clay put over the whole. To my grati¬ 
fication every cion inserted in this way grew off finely, and 
the coming season will doubtless make handsome trees. I do 
not know that the lead binding or mode of insertion is essen¬ 
tial, and although I have tried no other plan, yet I presume 
that other methods will answer equally well, provided the 
E reliminary steps are properly attended to. On other stocks,I 
ave grafted with success, with no other binding or protec¬ 
tion than the strip of lead, and have used lead ligatures with 
great expedition and success in budding. The introduction 
of lead ligatures was merely an experiment with a view to ex¬ 
pedite grafting and budding in large nursery operations. 
Thus far I am inclined to give the preference to the old meth¬ 
ods. When heading down the-stocks, I took care in every 
case to leave either one or two small shoots, some leaves, or 
several nascent buds in order to continue ali the functions of 
the tree until union had taken place between the cion and 
the stalk. As soon as the buds of the cion began to put 
forth, all below upon the stock was pruned off. When the 
scions were taken from the trees, the leaves were all remov¬ 
ed as in budding, leaving only a small portion of the foot 
stalk. The clay and ligatures were removed in the fall when 
vegetation had ceased, and the wounds were all well closed. 
I am not sure that it is absolutely essential to leave any thing 
growing on the stalk, and regret that I did not try some with¬ 
out. CH. G. PAGE, M. D. 
Washington City, Feb., 1841. 
Perfect Bee Hive and Hon Swarmer.— [Fig. 64.] 
This cut (fig. 64,) represents the hive placed in the Apiary, 
when the observer stands in the hall on its back side, where the 
bee manager performs most of his duties in managing his hives, 
out of the way of his bees at work. When the collateral B, on 
the left, and 2, 4, on the right, are both added, the hive is used 
as a Non Swarmer; when both are off it is used as a swarmer. 
The center box, including both apartments, upper and lower, 
holds one bushel and a half, not including the space within the 
angle subtending the square box, or lower apartment. When 
the collaterals are added, the hive holds about two bushels 
and three-fourths. The principles of this hive may be adapted 
to any hive of a square form as well as this, to wit, the box 
hive, cape hive, subtending or piling box hive, as well as the 
Vermont hive. 
Specification of the uses of the Perfect Bee Hive. 
The aperture through the center of the right angle bottom 
board marked D, readily discharges all filth that falls from 
among the combs, at the same time its outer projection end¬ 
wise, opposite D, forms a most convenient alighting place for 
the bees, and secures them from driving winds in chilly weath¬ 
er. 
The_ ventilators, six in all, marked E, are made of tin tubes 
three inches in diameter, covered on the inside of the hive with 
wire screen, and with wire gauze the inside of its outer pro¬ 
jection, so that when the whole is covered with a cap on the 
outside with corresponding holes, ventilation may be gradu¬ 
ated at pleasure. 
The tfiermometrical chamber, seen at F in the cut, is used 
only as a deposit for that important instrument, which will 
show at all times the condition of the bees contained in the 
hive. This will determine the required quantity of air to cool 
the hive below swarming temperature, as well as the neces¬ 
sary heat to keep the young broods in a healthful condition, and 
also determine the most appropriate time for dividing off 
swarms, which can be done with perfect success and certainty 
only in the swarming season. 
The collaterals seen on the right and left of the center hive 
are added or removed at pleasure by the use of slides made of 
sheet iron, one of which is cut with curves in such a manner 
as to correspond with the wood or cork stops which are insert¬ 
ed into apertures in the sides of the hive, (these materials be¬ 
ing non conductors of heat and cold,) and when removed ad¬ 
mit the bees, and animal heat to emanate into the collaterals, 
both of which may be boxes, or one may be a box as marked B in 
the cut, and the other a chamber containing drawers marked 
2, 4, which may be removed by taking off the whole chamber at 
once. t 
As a full illustration of the uses and management of bees in 
all the classes of hives to which these principles may be adapt¬ 
ed, would more properly come into a volume rather than in a 
single newspaper essay,—I only add that a swarm of bees 
weighing less than ten pounds when first hived, should be con¬ 
fined to the swarming hive until their increased numbers re¬ 
quire more room, when the collateral box may be added. In 
all cases the box is added first; afterwards the chamber, but 
no apertures should ever be left open so as to compel the bees 
to warm by their animal heat any more space than they oc¬ 
cupy. JOHN M WEEKS. 
P. S. Any person who shall onclose $5 to the proprietor, will 
be entitled to one individual right, and will be furnished with 
cuts and drawings of all the hives, instructions, &c. will be 
forwarded. Territories will be offered on liberal terms. All 
letters of inquiry must be post-paid. J. M. W. 
West Farms, Salisbury , Ft., June , 1841. 
Destruction of the Ganada Thistle. 
Messrs. Editors —I see in the March number of the pres¬ 
ent vol. of your valuable journal, an inquiry as to the best 
mode of destroying the pest of the farmer, the Canada thistle. 
Now, for the benefit of the inquirer, and all others that it 
may concern, I will state how I destroyed a large patch of 
them some years ago; perhaps others troubled with them, 
may destroy them in the same manner. __ I had a bed of them 
on my land, (I then lived in the state of Vermont,) covering 
some six rods of ground, which grew very rank and thick ; 
the lot was sowed to wheat, and when the wheat was being 
harvested, I directed the cradler to leave the thistles standing, 
as they grew so stout that he would be in danger of breaking 
his cradle. I let the thistles stand until about the middle of 
August. I then took a sythe and mowed them in the mid¬ 
dle of the day, when the sun would be the hottest, raked them 
up and carted them to the barn, leaving the stumps exposed 
to the sun. I recollect that the-blow, (so called) had just be¬ 
gun to-escape from the bud. The thistle did not sprout at all 
that summer or fall; and the next spring I could have held 
all the thistles that grew on the whole patch in my two hands 
at one grasp, and they were puny sickly things. I have no 
doubt but that the exposing of the stumps to tne burning rays 
of the sun, w'as the cause of their destruction. 
Lockport, April 7, 1841. T. T. ROBERTS. 
Culture of Indian Corn. 
Messrs. Editors —Would it not be gratifying to many of 
your readers, if your correspondent, Z. Drummond, would 
favor you with another communication, giving in detail the 
mode in which his farm is cultivated, and the manner in 
which all the duties thereof are performed. First, are his 
lands laid off on the 3, 4 or 5 field system ? How many 
acres in Indian corn, how many in wheat, how many in 
oats, &c. ? How many in clover and other grasses ? Is 
any portion of grass land fallowed for wheat? What is the 
average production of Indian corn to the acre? What the 
average quantity of wheat per acre after corn, and what on 
clover or other green fallow ? What preparation is given to his 
corn land previous to planting, what amount of labor appro¬ 
priated to its cultivation, and what the proportion of plow 
and hoe labor, &c.? 
_ I think, Messrs. Editors, your subscribers in different sec¬ 
tions of the country would afford valuable information to each 
other by communicating, through the Cultivator, their differ¬ 
ent methods of cultivating Indian corn, which would enable 
each reader to judge of the advantages to be derived from 
each method thus communicated, as well in labor saved, as 
extra profits to be derived thereby; and in order that I may 
not be misunderstood, I will give a brief statement of the most 
prevailing method practiced in this neighborhood. Tfie field 
to be prepared for corn has the benefit of the previous vear’s 
crop of clover and all the manure that can be got on it; du¬ 
ring the winter and early part of spring, the land is thrown 
together in 5 feet beds, with plow drawn by a pair of horses, 
mules, or a yoke of oxen; and when the time arrives for 
planting, two or three furrows are thrown together on the top 
of each bed, harrowed twice, and opened with the plow. 
Thus the land is fresh prepared, just ahead of the planters; 
the corn is dropped at distances according to the quality of 
soil, and covered with hoes or drags (harrows,) according to 
circumstances. When the corn is large enough to hoe, a 
stout furrow is thrown from the corn on each side, in such a 
maimer that the furrows from each contiguous row will meet 
each other in the centre between;, the corn is then hoed and 
thinned, and middles harrowed. By the time the field is got 
over, the corn is large enough to put the mold board to, and a 
furrow is thrown to the corn, from each side the row, and ho¬ 
ed a second time ; the middles are again harrowed, loosened 
with the cultivator, Or plowed, as occasion requires, which 
completes the second working. The third working is mostly 
performed after harvest by a light flush plowing and hilling 
with the hoe which finishes the crop. If this is bad practice, 
better would be willingly adopted by A Subscriber. 
Warwick County, Va., 12th April, 1841. 
We join in the request made in the above communica¬ 
tion, to Mr. Drummond, and hope he will answer the inqui¬ 
ries at his convenience—also in the request for information 
on tbs culture of Indian corn. “ A Subscriber” would have 
added to the interest of his details, had he given us his meth¬ 
od of harvesting, and the quantity raised per acre.— Eds. 
Goldsborougdi’s Corn Husker and Sheller.— [Fig. 66.] 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker—I send you herewith a num¬ 
ber of the American Farmer, in which you will find a de¬ 
scription of the above, which I will thank you to copy, with 
the cut, into the Cultivator. 
The difficulty of describing a machine, however simple it 
may be, without the aid of an engraving, has induced us to 
send you a cut of Goldsborough’s Corn Husker and Shekel, 
which we will endeavor to explain satisfactorily to those of 
your subscribers who have written us on the subject, and oth¬ 
ers whose corn crops justify using a machine of so great pow¬ 
er. As in all other agricultural machinery as well as the one 
now reverted to, we are determined to recommend only such 
as we have proved by practical experience to be truly excel¬ 
lent, thereby encouraging the confidence of planters and as¬ 
sisting the growing desire to introduce on their plantations la¬ 
bor saving machinery. . 
The above cut displays a machine substantially built. The 
operating parts are simple, plain and void of complication— 
requisites which are all-important to farmers who cannot con¬ 
veniently resort to practical mechanics to instruct them how 
to arrange a complicated piece of machinery. Recent expe¬ 
riments have fully satisfied us that the machine now referred 
to is capable of standing unscathed under as great a body of 
corn as is possible to be fed into the hopper by three active 
men, and such is the rapidity by which the work is discharg¬ 
ed, that 700 bushels of corn may be husked and shelled, or 
1200 bushels shelled after the husk has previously been taken 
off, per day. The husks, (stripped and in fine order for mat¬ 
tress makers) cobs and corn ail pass out together. A boy 
(with a common wooden rake) will separate the husks and 
cobs from the corn as fast as it is discharged from the ma- 
