THE CULTIVATOR. 
143 
this conclusion they are justified on the well known rule, 
that where an individual is grossly wrong in one par¬ 
ticular, he is to be doubted on all others. 
“ Capt. Barclay’s statements and his prejudices, have 
brought to my mind a circumstance that occurred here 
some four years ago. A son of the Emerald Isle, who 
owned a small farm near mine, on taking possession, 
was constantly railing against our implements, and es¬ 
pecially the plow. 4 Ah,’ said he to me, 4 you should 
see the wrought iron plow we have in use in old Ireland: 
that is the plow that will do the work;’ and so strong 
was his partiality in their favor, that without conde¬ 
scending to give ours a trial, he sent home and ordered 
one for his own use. It came, costing twenty-five dol¬ 
lars, besides the expense of transportation; a long ra¬ 
kish looking affair, some ten or twelve feet from the end 
of the beam to the end of the handles, the mold board 
shaped entirely different from our improved plows, and 
a load of itself for a team. I had just procured a new 
Peacock plow from New Jersey, and invited him, after 
I had smoothed it by use, to bring over his oxen, and as¬ 
sist me to plow a piece of very tough sward. I gave 
him the plow, while I drove the team. After turning 
several furrows, he stopped, looked at the work, and ex¬ 
amined the plow closely in every part. 4 Here,’ said he, 
4 is a plow that cost nine dollars, strong, light, and easy 
to handle, and doing as good work as any plow I ever 
held; while mine cost twenty-five dollars, is a load for 
the team, and is awkward and unhandy.’ K Capt. B. 
would submit some of his favorite plows to the same test, 
there is little doubt it would be attended with the same 
result.” 
TIMBER. 
44 A Subscriber” at Kinston, N. C., asks 44 whether 
there is any sale for the kinds of timber mentioned in his 
letter, and the use made of each.” 
The first is the “Sycamore.” This is used extensive¬ 
ly by many cabinetmakers, it being found to work very 
well; and by some is considered next in value for such 
purposes to cherry. 
Next is 44 White and Black Ash.” Large quantities of 
White Ash are used by wagon and carriage makers, 
fanning mill makers, &c., it being considered next in 
strength and durability to white oak. It should be sawed 
into plank when intended for sale. Black Ash is not 
used to any extent that we are aware, except for fencing 
purposes. 
44 Birch,” is another of the woods mentioned. Black, 
or yellow birch, if sound, is a valuable timber, used for 
making tools, for the hubs of carriages, and for man}'- 
binds of furniture. 
44 Maple” is in demand principally by the cabinet ma¬ 
kers. If curled, it should be sawed into boards, and 
commands a good price; if not curled, it should be cut 
differently. 
44 Poplar,” sawed into half inch stuff, is in much de¬ 
mand by carriage and cabinet makers; it working very 
smooth, and being tougher than basswood or whitewood, 
which are substitutes. It must, however, be sound, of 
good width, and free from season checks. 
44 Beech,” is little used, except when of rapid growth, 
and mostly or entirely sap wood, when it is wanted by 
the makers of joiner’s tools, plane stocks, &c. 
If 44 A Subscriber” has these woods for sale, he will 
find it for his interest to visit the cities for himself, and 
ascertain the prices, manner of sawing preferred, &c. &c. 
and will undoubtedly find his account in so doing. There 
is a vast deal of valuable timber wasted in the clearing 
of new lands, which might be profitably saved, and we 
hope our friend will make a successful experiment in the 
matter. 
GROUND MOLES. 
A correspondent, 44 A.” of Waterbury, Conn., asks 
44 for a description, with a drawing if convenient, of one 
of the many good mole traps that are in use in various 
parts of the country;” he having suffered much from their 
depredations, without finding any method of destroying 
them. 
The true mole, which is so injurious abroad, is rarely 
found numerous enough to do much mischief here. What 
is called the ground mole here, is not such, but a species 
of Arvicola, or field mouse, and does much mischief by 
gnawing the roots of grasses, plants and trees. When 
they have become troublesome to us, we have found the 
most efficient trap to be a flat stone or board, set with a 
figure 4, or what is called by boys a squat trap. Some 
use a trap made of a board, balanced on the middle, and 
baited at one end, in such a manner that the mole slides 
from the sinking board into a vessel of water, placed in 
the ground below. Poison may be resorted to, but this 
will frequently prove more destructive to other animals 
than for the ones intended. If any of our friends will 
furnish a description of a good trap, and a drawing, we 
shall be glad to receive them. 
44 A.” adds in a P. S.:— 44 Last fall I made a new bed 
containing about 100 strawberry plants, Methven Castle 
variety. In coming into blossom this season, I found 
only one staminate plant, or perfect flower, as some say; 
yield from this plant, over a pint. I may send you the 
result of some experiments with the strawberry plant 
next year, if they should be of interest to you.” 
[Send them; the history of well conducted experiments 
can hardly be without value.—E ds.] 
Condition and circumstances should not control us. 
We should mold them to suit our wills. 
RUST OR MILDEW ON WHEAT. 
From almost every quarter of our country, in the re¬ 
ports of the crops which reach us, we find complaints of 
the damage which has been inflicted on wheat the pre¬ 
sent season by rust. Some districts it is true have entire¬ 
ly escaped, but it is certain that the difficulty has been 
widely and most injuriously felt. There is scarcely a 
disease incident to our cultivated crops, the origin of 
which is involved in greater obscurity, than is that of 
mildew. Some have attributed it to honey dew on the 
plants; some to the influence of particular plants, as the 
barberry hush; some to irregular atmospheric agencies; 
and some to the attacks of a species of minute fungi or pa¬ 
rasitic plant. In the investigation of any subject, it is 
well to ascertain what is actually known respecting it, 
as the course may facilitate further researches. 
Thus we know that a particular state of the atmosphere 
invariably precedes an attack of rust on wheat. While 
the weather remains of a low and equable temperature, 
dry, or free from excess of moisture, rust never appears; 
and even a high temperature does not produce it, if the 
weather be dry. So far as the atmosphere is concerned, 
two things appear necessary to produce rust; excess of 
moisture, and a high temperature; things that produce a 
rapid, and in ordinary cases, unhealthy vegetation. 
The presence of a minute fungi, or parasite, on wheat 
that is mildewed, is also certain; the only doubt seems 
to be, whether this fungi is the cause of the disease, or 
only consequent on its presence. This fungi, (Puccinia 
graminis of the books,) seems to form beneath the cuti¬ 
cle of the stem, and in its progress to maturity, bursts 
forth in longitudinal clusters like grapes, of a dark color. 
These are filled with sporules or the seeds of the fungi, 
of a bright brick red color, and when they open, give to 
the stalks, or to whole fields, that red sombre hue, so 
characteristic of rust. A very good figure of this fungi, 
may be seen at page 120, of the Cultivator for 1840. 
The state of the atmosphere in those districts where 
the disease has been the most extensively developed, has 
been so far as we have been able to learn, hot and wet, 
at least it has been so, immediately preceding the attack. 
Thus the wheat of the central counties of New-York, ap¬ 
peared unusually fine, and the promise of a great crop 
never better, until the first week in July, or from the 5th 
to the 10th of the month. At that period, heavy show¬ 
ers alternating with hot close weather, gave the farmer 
well grounded fears for the safety of the wheat crop; 
and the speedy appearance of the rust, showed that his 
fears were justifiable. By the loth, many fields of wheat 
exhibited that peculiar dark hue, which at a distance 
shows the existence of the evil, and by the 18th or 20th, 
the fungi were fully developed, and the sporules or red 
dust thrown off in immense quantities. The fretid odor 
that marks the attack and progress of this mildew, in 
these cases was most marked and offensive. This year, 
as in all others when rust prevails, its attacks are most 
irregular, and seemingly unaccountable. Some fields 
will escape, while others at a little distance are almost 
or quite ruined. So some towns, or districts, are scarce¬ 
ly touched, while those adjoining suffer severely. This 
difference in districts may he attributed to the range of 
showers varying the quantity of moisture, &c., but some 
other cause must be sought for the variation where farms 
are adjoining, or perhaps in different fields on the same 
farm. We haim seen one part of afield scarcely touched, 
and the grain filling and ripening well, while on another 
part, it was not worth harvesting. 
We have found no little evidence the present season to 
confirm our former impressions that the disease is to be 
traced in the first plaee to the softening of the cuticle of 
the plants by excess of moisture, accompanied by great 
heat. All plants in this state, become for the time, fee¬ 
ble and debilitated. The softening of their surfaces, cau¬ 
ses them to break or fall down more easily, and this dan¬ 
ger is increased by the greatly increased flow of sap 
which prevails under such circumstances. This is attest¬ 
ed by the rapid growth of all plants, which have not had 
their progress arrested by approaching maturity. It is at 
this time, that the mildew first shows itself in the longi¬ 
tudinal strife or grooves of the leaves and stems of the 
wheat. The cuticle is ruptured, anti minute bodies re¬ 
sembling at their first appearance, gum, or some clear 
substance, are seen exuding or protruding from the rup¬ 
tured points. The cuticle is forced outwards, dries, anti 
forms those white points that give the stem of mildewed 
wheat such a ragged appearance. This clear substance 
soon assumes a darker hue; the seed vessels of the fungi 
become visible, and but a comparatively few hours elapse 
before these vessels are mature, burst, and the red spo¬ 
rules or fungi seeds cover the grain. In the meantime, 
the roots of the fungi have penetrated the interior of the 
stalk, deranged the internal pores, obstructed the flow of 
the juices, or so changed their character as to render them 
unable or unfit to complete the maturing of the plant, or 
the grain in the ear; the first remains stationary, green 
and immature; the latter not receiving the supplies of 
gluten and starch necessary to its perfection, shrinks and 
is worthless. With a Raspail microscope of 250 magni¬ 
fying power, we have had frequent opportunities of tra¬ 
cing the progress of mildew; and as we think, verifying 
the details here given of its action. 
In our examinations of mildewed wheat, we have been 
led to ask whether the sporules of the fungi, falling on 
the softened surface of the wheat, were absorbed, or rea¬ 
dily rooted in the pores of the plant; or whether the ac¬ 
cumulated and perhaps changed juices, did not rupture 
the coat, and exuding from it, become the nidus in which 
the floating sporules fixed themselves to multiply and 
spread ad infinitum. We are not able to answer this 
question satisfactorily to ourselves; other observers may 
have been more fortunate, or more skilful. 
In the present state of our knowledge respecting mil¬ 
dew, it will be impossible to speak very decidedly on 
the best means of preventing it. As we see, however, 
that wheat on lands abounding in vegetable matter, or 
which have been manured largely with fresh manure, 
suffers more than on lands not so situated or treated, it is 
right to infer that a too rapid growth of the wheat plant 
exposes it to attacks from mildew. Wheat, too, which 
is so thick as to preclude the circulation of air, by re¬ 
taining the moisture on the plants for a longer period, is 
in a condition to facilitate the softening of the coat of 
the plant, and thus invite attack. Any cause that should 
give more firmness and solidity to the covering of the 
wheat plant, would undoubtedly, so far, act as a preven¬ 
tive to rust. In many cases there seems to be a want of 
silicious matter to give firmness to the cuticle, a difficul¬ 
ty owing perhaps to the character of the soil, its native 
constituents, or the manner in which it has been cropped 
or manured. In these cases, would not ashes, from the 
potash they contain, produce the soluble silicates neces¬ 
sary for the use of the plant? Or would not powdered 
glass, furnished as it can be for two dollars a barrel, prove 
an effective aid on soils deficient in the silicates? We 
invite the attention of farmers to this subject. It has 
been found in England, that wheat sown in drills is much 
less liable to mildew, than that sown broadcast. The 
reason assigned, is, the greater facilities given for the 
circulation of air, and the more rapid drying of the plants 
when wet with dew or rain. There is, we think, some 
foundation for this opinion, from the effect we have ob¬ 
served on grain sown on the furrow, and harrowed in 
such a way as partially to produce the effect of drill sow¬ 
ing, the wheat plants mostly standing where the seed 
fell or rolled, in the furrows. 
MODEL FARMS. 
The agricultural establishment under the patronage of 
the French Government at Grignon, is probably one of 
the most perfectly managed in the world. Smaller mo¬ 
del farms, generally under the care of pupils from the 
Grignon school, are established in many of the depart¬ 
ments, subject to the supervision of the government. Of 
these, the one at Rennes, is thus described by Mr. Doyle, 
in the Cyclopedia of Practical Husbandry : 
44 The Farm consists of 72 acres of arable land, held 
by a 15 years lease from a wealthy proprietor, by M, 
Bodin, who was assisted by the principal authorities of 
the department, to take the direction of it. M. Bodin 
had been a pupil at Grignon, and subsequently managed 
a small farm in a similar capacity, before he obtained 
the present one, which was in 1837. The rent of the 
farm is 3,500 francs, of which the department pays 2,000 ; 
and the director the remainder, with taxes and repairs, 
which amount to 500 francs more. He also supplies all 
capital for improvements, and all out-goings, clears all 
losses, and of course has all the profits. There are in 
this school 20 pupils, paying 250 francs a year each. The 
department in which the school is situated pay for six, 
and the government for the remaining fourteen, who are 
nominated by the prefects of three other departments in 
Brittany. They are generally the sons of well conducted 
farmers, and at the expiration of two years, go to the aid 
of their parents, or as hired stewards. The pupils are 
taught by M. Bodin, or an assistant, the ordinary subjects 
suited to their employment, and have no charge except 
for books, which they must supply for themselves. M. 
Bodin has a factory for implements, and disposes of ma¬ 
ny of them to farmers, even in very distant localities; he 
is altogether well qualified for his important office, and 
has obtained a prize for a treatise on agriculture, which 
is about to be enlarged to a second edition. And when 
practical men, like M. Bodin, can he induced with moderate 
assistance, to take the responsibilities of a model farm upon 
themselves, and to receive pupils for three or more years, at 
a reasonable rate of payment, they are the most eligible in¬ 
structors .” 
We would call the attention of our readers, and par¬ 
ticularly those who are anxious to see schools of this na¬ 
ture established in our country, to that part of the above 
extract, which we have italicised. Practical men in our 
opinion, are the ones to manage such an establishment. 
We could name farmers, who, if they would take the 
44 responsibilities of a model farm upon themselves,” 
would do more to impart really useful knowledge to their 
pupils, than an institution which should cost as much in 
founding as Girard's College, managed as such institu¬ 
tions frequently are. Men, who like M. Bodin, are able 
to illustrate the theory of agriculture by the practice, are 
the ones to whom farmers would be glad to entrust the 
education of their sons, confident that in the course pur¬ 
sued, the useful would never be compelled to give place 
to the purely fanciful in agriculture. 
Means of Renewing Poor Lands.—A North Caro¬ 
lina paper, says it 44 is a well established fact, that any lot 
of poor land may be enriched to almost any extent by 
planting it from year to year with sweet potatoes, and 
turning in the whole crop of vines every autumn. Let 
our planters try the experiment and satisfy themselves. 
Select a piece of your old fields and be willing to incur 
the trivial expense of seed and planting. How soon can 
you reclaim all our old pine fields which now make 
such an unsightly appearance among your best planta¬ 
tions.” 
