Inquiries and Answers.

DRAINING WET LANDI have a piece of land on my farm, that is wet, and holds water until late in spring; it is a side hill, clay subsoil. Will it do to underdrain it? What will the tile cost to drain about five acres; and do you think it will pay? Our lands are generally a black limestone land, as it is called R Franklin, Tenn. [It will not only "do" to drain it, but it will not do to let it remain undrained." bly it will increase its value at least ten-fold. Two inch pipe Very probatile, which will be large enough for eighty rods in length, or an equivalent, under ordinary circumstances, (see Register for 1859, article Draining,) may generally be had at the manufactories for about ten dollars per thousand-they are 12 or 14 inches long. Our correspondent may quickly figure how many will be required for an acre, with drains two rods apart; and also the cost of transportation from the nearest manufactory, each piece weighing two pounds or so. From these data he may easily determine the cost per acre. No doubt it will pay well, ultimately, if not immediately. CLOVER AND PLASTER-I have a field of some twelve acres, which I wish to manure previous to laying down to pasture. It is too far away to haul out manure, and I intend sowing clover and plaster this spring and plow down, seeding with grass next spring. What I wish to inquire is the amount of red clover and quantity of plaster I should apply per acre-when the best time for sowing each and right stage to turn under? HARRY. Sunbury Co, N. B. [Clover seed should be sown very early in spring or it may be a little later, if lightly and evenly brushed in. Or, if sown on newly plowed and evenly harrowed land, it may be covered by means of a roller, which presses the seed in and crumbles the surface. This mode does well, if performed quite early, and is followed by rain. Brushing in is best for late sowing. There should be at least one peck of seed per acre. There will be a good growth by the end of summer, when it may be plowed in, but it would be more profitable to wait another year, when the roots will be larger and the crop heavier. It should be plowed in just as the blossoms are disappearing, and before the stalks become dry. Plaster should be sown early in spring, at the rate of one or two bushels per acre.] SHERWOOD'S GRAIN BINDER. I noticed, some time since, in a daily paper, an article headed "Joy to Farmers," in which it was stated that an apparatus had been invented, and successfully operated, as an attachment to the reaper, for binding the grain into sheaves. Can you inform me if such an invention has been produced; and whether one can be had the present season? A FARMER. [A machine for binding grain, attached to any common reaping machine, has been invented by ALLEN SHERWOOD, of Auburn, N. Y., to whom application may be made for information. We have witnessed its successful performance in the harvest field, an account of which will be found in the 14th volume of the Country Gentleman, p. 121; and a figure and description were given in the 13th volume, p. 330.J

Pilfering of CHICKENS-BEST CULTIVATORS.-Can you or some of your numerous readers, give a mode to prevent the chickens from plucking up the corn, as I wish to plant a field in corn near the barn. To shut them up would be quite a task. I have seen a number of plans given, but do not know if they can be relied on. Also who manufactures the best horse-hoe to work corn with, and the price. LEVI HAWK. [We know of no chicken remedy for the purpose proposed. The best cultivator teeth which we have ever used are those made by SAYRE & REMINGTON, of Utica-they are steel-are light, strong, efficient, and are sharp till worn out. The best cultivator in form is that constructed by MILTON ALDEN, of Auburn, N. Y. It has thills which give the workmen a surprising control of its depth and accurate working. Both these we think are furnished for about eight dollars each. We figured the latter in our last volume.]

WILLOW CULTURE-Will you or some of your correspondents please inform me through THE CULTIVATOR, of the plan to pursue in order to successfully grow the Osier willow? B. U. [For an article on this subject, see Cultivator for Jan. 1858, p. 22.)

R.

MANURE CELLARS.-Will some of your correspondents who are soiling, explain how they construct their manure cellars, so as to answer their primary purpose of saving manure, and the secondary one of fattening swine? How do the porkers get in and out of the receptacle? When soiling a dozen cows in as many stalls, under a shed, with the stall doors opening to the south, into the barnyard, (the front of the shed forming part of the north boundary of the yard) where ought the ma nure cellar to be?

W. J.

LICE ON POULTRY.-Could any of the readers of the Co. Gent, or its publishers, tell us how to destroy the lice on fowls lishing it in your next. J. K. [Apply sweet oil to the top of effectually? If so, you would do me a great favor by pubtheir heads, under their wings, and elsewhere. Another remedy is to mix, say half a pound of sulphur, with several quarts of feed, and allow them occasionally to eat it. Indian meal would probably be best. We should prefer the oil remedy-which might perhaps be modified by substituting lard. But cleanliness whitewashing the hen-house, and keeping every the best of all remedies is prevention-effected by thorough part constantly clean.]

ESTIMATING HAY IN BULK-What number of tons of hay. will the bay or mow, as we call it, hold, when well settled, dimensions as follows-17 by 32 feet, 16 feet posts, and 14 pitch to the roof? A. w. [The rule given by different writers, to estimate hay in tons by the bulk, varies greatly. We have seen in an agricultural paper claiming reliability, the statement that 700 to 800 cubic feet are fequired for a ton of comnion hay, which is obviously beyond all bounds. The bulk and depth of the bay; nevertheless, we think the following varies with the kind of grass, time of cutting, degree of curing, rule a fair average: For clover hay packed solid, about 325 to 350 cubic feet; good timothy about 275 cubic feet, but under a very heavy pressure, one-fourth less. This rule should vary considerably with circumstances. The bay mentioned by our correspondent would contain over ten thousand cubie feet, and would therefore hold from thirty to forty tons, well packed away and carefully stuffed full.]

VARIETIES OF THE RED CLOVER-We have three varieties of clover seed for sale here, termed the "large or Herkimer county," the medium," and the "small" clover. I wish to know whether the "Peavine" clover, advertised in the Co. Gent., is the same thing as the "large or Herkimer Co.," commonly so called. How would the Peavine answer for soiling, say to follow the medium? Would it make a good succession? If I am rightly informed, it ripens later-if so, would it not be in its prime after the other has gone by? One thing more. Is Lucerne adapted to this climate, and would it be valuable for soiling purposes? Where can the seed be obtained-at what price, and how much would it recontinually reproduced from seed, runs largely into varieties; quire to the acre? J., R. [The clover, like other plants and it would be difficult therefore to pronounce on the identity of any local sorts without comparing the same in growth. There is no doubt that any of the larger sorts would do well for soiling-those which run largely to stalk would generally mature later than the dwarf kinds. Many high recommendations have been given of Lucerne, and many experiments made with it--but that they are generally unsuccessful is shown by the fact that its cultivation has not been extensively adopted or permanently carried on. The seed may probably be had of J. M. THORBURN of New-York, but we do not know the price.]

S., Medway, Mass., should subscribe for the COUNTRY inquires, more fully discussed than the limits of THE CULTIGENTLEMAN, where he will find the subject about which he VATOR will allow of our doing in its pages.

TILE-DRAINING.-Do any of the tile manufacturers in your city, ditch and lay the tile? Can you tell me the cost per acre, the drains to be 33 feet apart? There is not a rod of tile-drains in this town, and no factory for making tile in the vicinity. All the tile laid in Worcester are brought from Albany. c. w. G. [There are no tile manufacturers that cut ditches and lay tile for others. The cost of tile-draining per acre, the drains 2 rods apart, and 3 feet deep, the ditches being cut by hand, will vary with circumstances, but may be set down about as follows, as an average:

Digging 80 rods of ditch, 30c. per rod,,
Tile, about 1130, 14 inches by 2 inches in diameter,.
Laying tile and plowing in the earth,.

Total...

$24

12

3

$39

One-half the cost of digging the ditches will be saved, if a drain plow is used, reducing the cost from 839 to $27; and when the soil is favorable, and tile only $10, as in some places, the cost would be still less. If brought many miles by railroad, the expense would be increased.]

WHAT ALLS MY FOWLS ?-When first taken, they act as if trying to swallow-then whirl around like a shaker dancingothers keel over, like a gymnast and at last become stoneblind, seeming to lose all command of the head. They will eat heartily, though it is with great difficulty they pick up their food, the head flying off first one side, then the other. C. w. G. [This disease may be the vertigo-caused perhaps by overfeeding or improper food. We never had any expe

GRAPES MIXING BY CLOSE PROXIMITY-Being about to put out a number of grapevines, with the view ultimately of training them to an arbor, I wish to make the following in quiry. The vines will be placed about ten feet apart on each side of the trellis or arbor, of different varieties of fruit, viz., Delaware, Diana, Rebecca, and Annn. Now, being placed in such close proximity, whether there is not a probability of their hybridizing so as to change the character of the fruit ? r. (There is no danger of the fruit mixing or being changed as suggested. Each flower will probably fertilize itself, but. if it does not, and its neighbor performs the office, it will not affect the berries, but only the seed they contain] HORSES AND HOGs-Is it injurious to horses i have trois to have hogs kept underneath their stable to work over J. B. [Horses, to be healthy, must have pure, fresh air and if the fumes of the manure are allowed to come up from be low and load the air and taint the food, the result cannot be beneficial. A perfectly tight floor will exclude the vapor.

SALT FOR WHEAT. I wish to try an experiment with sow-to ing salt on wheat this spring-how much should I sow per acre? JOHN JONES. Golconda, Ill. [Sow from five to ten bushels-it is usually applied in autunm abont sowing time, or soon after-but is said to have done well if applied early in spring.J

SALTING CATTLE.-W. B. inquires respecting salt for cattle. I would say to him that for a number of years I have summered from 100 to 300 head of cattle, and I salt them twice a week, all that they will eat, and I have never had one hurt by eating too much. I have found, in buying fat cattle that had not been well salted, that they never weighed, according to their appearance, as well as those that had been well salted. In the spring of the year I find an advantage in mixing ashes with their salt after they are put on grass. It is a help towards shedding the old coat and starting them to thrive. Ohio Farm, Ill.

[For the Cultivator and Country Gentleman.]

Clod Crushers, Book Farming, &c. Ebs, CULT, AND CO, GENT. Do good and communicate," you say, and I say that if any one expects to, they must make a beginning. I will give a little evidence of the value of taking agricultural papers, which I began to take and read 18 years ago, and have not been without one or more since. I do not think it spoils the value of any information to go through the agricultural printing press as some do, although they, would practice the same if it was told them by their neighbors. I often have got information from one number of your paper, and others, which was of more value than the cost of the paper for years. I will give you an instance of it.

The Clod Crusher which you gave a description of in 1858, and also the evidence of another person as to the

COOKED FEED FOR HOGS.

et basd of
EDS. CULTIVATOR 2

IVATOR AND CO. GENT.I will give you my experience in feeding cooked feed to hogs.

I weighed five shoats their gross weight was 566 lbs. Fed 150 lbs, wheat bran, cooked, in eight days-weight 628 lbs., 62 lbs.

Fed 280 lbs., or four bushels poor frost-bit corn, cooked, in eight days-weight, 646 lbs.-gain, 18 lbs. Fed 245 lbs, or 34 bushels secondquality corn, cooked, in eight days-weight, 698 lbs.-gain, 52 lbs.

If calculate right, the bran, cooked, at four cents per pound for the gain on the logs, paid 33 cents per bushel of 20lbstiThe frost-bit corn paid 18 cents per bushel→→→ that was as qnuch as could be expected of such corn. Two of them were boars that I altered while feeding this corn;3 they gained nothing. The second quality corn paid 594 This corn would not have brought more than 30 cents

value of it, in 1859. I drew on the meadow last spring a cents per busheshel in market.

quantity of scrapings from the yard, which was mostly dirt, and could not be spread so but there was a great many lumps, both great and small; and remembering the articles above named looked them up, (having kept all my back vols, and not used them for kindling wood 1 have known some to do and went to work and us as a crusher. I went to work with it, and the way it crushed and spread the lumps (doing more and better work in one hour, than three or four men could do in a day,) would convince those most set against book farming, that there is a profit in taking the papers; (and by the way some of them think they will have one made this year.) Mine had to do a great deal of work last year at home and at the neighbors, fitting land for grain and roots, and covering) grass seeds. I think it is equal to its recommends by your fortner correspondents, although mine was not made after your pattern exactly. Not having any plank of the right shape, I made it out of common 2 inch plank, and if it was larger, it did its work well, and answered for a stone boat to draw off the stone from the land at the same time.

Now if I could induce one or more to try it by calling their attention to it again, I should think I had done some good by trying to communicate. Would it not be well for you to give a description of it again?

The ink which this is written with, is also an evidence of the value of taking these papers, it being made from the receipt in the Feb. Cultivator, page 51, a quart costing only three cents. BOOK FARMER.

Vernon, N. Y. Agreeably to the suggestion above, we reprint the des cription of the clod crusher alluded to. It was furnished for our papers by Mr. D. McCULLOCK, of Loudon Co., Va. MATERIALS.-One scantling 3 by 4, and 12 feet long, to be sawed into three pieces-7 planks 5 feet long, and 7 inches wide, two inches thick on one edge, and the other edge half an inch thick; (sawyers can saw them by raising one edge of the log,) and one plank 14 inches thick, and

12 inches wide.

Hogs at four cents per pound are below the market price here, but I calculated them at four cents to make the same figures.

Mr. Proctor's good corn, as reported in your paper some time since, paid three cents per bushel for the trouble of feeding my second-quality corn paid 293 cents per bushel for the trouble of cooking and feeding, and on the same quality of cornshe fed, it would have paid 10 cents per bushel more. His gain is about the average of feeding on dry corn, J. WIDNEY. Ohio Farm, Il,

3

[For the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.] Films on the Eyes of Cattle.

MESSRS. EDITORS-I have seen inquiries about films on the eyes of cattle. I have never had a trial on cattle, but have cured or taken off films twice or three times from the eye of a young mare, by applying new milk from the cow two or three times a day for three or four days. Take a little in the mouth, and it is easily deposited in the eye. It is mild, easily tried, and not expensive.

W. P.

[For the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.] Ice Cream and Cake.

FOR "JENNIE,”—and if she does not think it "excellent," she will differ from many others who do.

One quart good sweet cream-2 quarts new milk-2 teaspoons arrow-root mixed with two of good butter-14 pounds white sugar, and the yolks of 5 eggs well beaten up.

Boil the milk, and stir in the mixture of arrow-root and butter, and as soon as that boils, set it off, and stir in the sugar and eggs, and let it cool. Then stir the cream in, and flavor with a little mauilla, lemon, or what else best suits the taste, and then freeze.

or

The whites of eggs not used in the ice cream, will help to make a very nice cake to eat with it, called "Silver" "Lady" cake. Half a pound sugar, 6 ounces flour, three ounces butter, whites of 5 or 7 eggs, well beaten, and flavored with extract of bitter almond. LUCY. Burlington Co., N. J..

For the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.]
CHEAP PAINT.

MESSRS. EDITORS-Nutieing an inquiry for a cheap paint to put on old buildings, in answer I would say I have had some experience in that line, and will give the desired infor

mation.

HOW TO MAKE IT.-Lay down the pieces of scantling 2 feet apart; lay on one plank, thick edge to the end, take an inch auger and bore through the plank and scantling countersink the holes through the plank with a chisel, so that the pins will not draw through; then take the next plank and lap it one inch over the thin edge of the other, and put the pins through so that they will catch both planks; when the last plank is on, slope off the scantIn the first place take some fine oil meal, mix it with cold ling like a sledge runner; then put on the wide plank, turn water; then put it on the stove, and keep stirring till it boils. over, wedge pins, bore a slanting hole in each piece about Then reduce it to the desired thickness with warm water. If a foot from the front, to pull by. Put a chain of suitable you wish it white, stir in whiting, or any color you like. Ap length on the pins; hook your swingle trees to the middle;ply with a brush, the same as paint. It fills the pores in the driver to stand on the hind end. If not heavy enough, wood, so that after two coats it will cost no more to paint an It penetrates the wood, put on stone. It does not answer well on stony land, be old building than it would a new one. cause the stones don't break. If the land is wanted very and does not peel off like whitewash. It is never safe to paint fine, and once over is not enough, harrow up the clods, over whitewash. It will last a number of years, as the oily nature of the meal keeps it from washing. and go over again. Farmers living on clay loams will find this tool of great advantage. We use it after the harrow, and it saves one harrowing. It has several advantages over the roller-costs less, turns casier, pulverizes better, and levels. &

X W

A. B.

DAMP BEDS.-Mr. H. E. Stanley, of Stourport, Scotland, recently died at that place, from the effects of sleeping over night at Ross in a bed with damp clothes. Medical aid was speedily called but proved of no avail.

For the Country Gentleman and Cultivator.] Death of a Distinguished Agriculturist.

On the 11th of April Mr. B. V. FRENCH, of Harrison Square, Dorchester, Mass., departed this life at the ripe age of 69. His funeral took place on the 12th, at Dr. Starr's church in Braintree, where Mr. F, formerly resided, and was attended by a very large concourse of people.

Mr. Benjamin Vinton French was born in Braintree, July 29th, 1791-learned the business of a grocer began trade in 1812, and followed it 25 years. As early as 1818 he began to interest himself in farming, and soon after became a landholder-enlarging his farm in 1824, and in 1836 gave up his business in Boston, after having acquired a good property by dilligence and assudity in lús calling. To prevent ennui, on quitting the busy marts of city activity, his friends advised him to furnish himself with a fishing tackle and a sporting gun, which he did, but found no occasion to use them for the purpose anticipated, for he found his rural employment ample for this.

His farm comprised about 200 acres, mostly under cultivation. It consisted of a great variety of soils, from the gravelly to the mucky. He inclosed his grounds with stone walls-the materials being taken from his fieldsoften trenching deeply before building the wall. His moist grounds were drained and made cultivable and productive.

He collected the meanwhile, the largest and most valuable Agricultural Library in the State-to which he added the best current Agricultural and Horticultural journals, both domestic and foreign... He was a constant reader of his books, magazines and papers-thus seeking to unite practice with science.

As a Pomologist, his judgment and skill were generally acknowledged. He had at one time over 400 varieties of the apple in cultivation, with as many pears-with large varieties of pluins, cherries, and of the smaller fruits. This was done to test the varieties, for the purpose of determining the best for economical purposes or uses in cultivation.

CORN CULTURE IN KENTUCKY.

EDS. CO. GENT.-I would have written an article upon the cultivation of Indian Corn, some time since, but Helt A Hoosier corresit was like taking coals to New-Castle. pondent, in your issue of March 29th, tells how they culnite as to be of very little use to one needing instruction. I think, therefore, that the precise mode of cultivation, of some good practical farmer, would be much more to the purpose. As I have been at the business a good while, and have tried a good many plans, I will give an account of my practice last season, by which I produced six thousand bushels shelled coin on less than one hundred acres. The land was all spring-plowed--which was done as deep as my teams could possibly draw the plows. Did not plow an acre of ground when too wet. Let patience have its perfect work in this particular. Harrowed when the ground was in proper order, with heavy two-horse diamond harrows, twenty-four teeth. Laid off both ways, three feet and a half, with one-horse diamond plow, as deep as horse could pull. Planted white flint corn, small cob; covered with hoe; plenty of dirt. Best field planted 10th of May.

tivate corn in his State; but makes his account so indefi

Did not work my corn until it was stout enough to bear close severe plowing. Implement used was the one-horse diamond plow-narrow and deep, nade to order-run the bar and split the middle. This is done twice in immediate succession, before leaving each field; then drop the plow and thin. (My land bears three stocks.) Then treat the next field in like manner until you get round the whole crop. By the time this is done, the first field is able to bear the mould-board. Throw two furrows, deep and strong as deep as the horse can pull, and as close as the plow can get, and split the middle. Do this once, and proceed to No. 2, and so on. When you get through all, repeat this immediately. This will make four plowings, which is about all that we can do with 100 acres or more.

Our wheat harvest comes in here from the 20th June to 1st July, and our corn is rarely ever large enough to lay by at that time. The crop is almost always greatly benefitted by plowing thoroughly after harvest. Do not abandon the plowing on account of drouth. Plow-plow

He built a very costly barn-one which has been described in the Gentleman and Cultivator. Though it was deemed " a model barn" by many, yet it was too expen-plow, in dry weather-fear not. sive for common farmers to imitate.

Mr. French was one of the founders of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the National Pomological Society, the United States Agricultural Society, the Norfolk Co. Agricultural Society, the Mass. Board of Agriculture, of which he was a member until a short time before his death; and by his influence an act was past by the Legislature in 1856, for the establishing of a Massachusetts School of Agriculture.

A short time before his death, the estate of Mr. French was found involved in irrevocable debt, and was sold at a terrible sacrifice, really not less than relatively. After his homestead and effects were sold, Mr. F. removed from Braintree to the place where he resided at the time of his death-and soon after opened a Farm Agency office, in North Market street, Boston, where he held constant and congenial intercourse with farmers in matters relating to He disrural economy-buying and selling stock, &c. posed of a part of his library to the State Board of Agriculture, a part to a gentleman in Boston, and retained a part down to the time of his demise. He was often heard to regret that he sold his books such as had been his constant companions and silent counsellors for many years.

The death of such a man is a great public loss-leaving void a place that cannot be easily filled. He was a man of highly cultivated taste, of great enterprise and energy of character-an advocate of progress, and promoter of improvement in everything that concerned the welfare of society-remarkably genial and entertaining in conversation-always abounding in good humor-full of anecdote, and ever ready to communicate valuable information on a wide range of subjects. But Mr. French's work is done, and well done, in testimony of which, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society has decided to erect a suitable monuCOLUMELLA. ment over his grave in Braintree.

As to other implements for cultivating corn, I have eight of the five hoc cultivators; and as to shovel plows, showers of them. These are all very good, but the heaviest crops I ever made, to wit-7,500 bushels and 6,000 bushels-were made without them. Boon County, Ky. A KY. FARMER.

COMPOSTING ANIMAL MATTER. EDITORS CORNTRY GENTLEMAN-Having noticed an inquiry in the Country Gentleman in respect to animals for manure, I will give you my practice. I have been in the habit of killing from 40 to 50 calves a year at four days old. I make a pen 12 feet square; then cover the bottom four inches deep with swamp muck; then place on the carcass of a calf, and cover it with one load of muck, and so on until they are all in-one two-horse wagon load of muck to each calf. If I lose a cow or any other animal in the course of the year, it is put into the heap, with the same proportion of swamp muck. When it has laid one year, I apply it to the land. According to my experi ments, it is worth twice its bulk of stable manure. 1856 I applied 25 two-horse wagon loads of stable manure to the acre on an old meadow, and plowed it in. Then I plowed a piece on one side of it without any manure, on which I applied about half as much of the animal compost to the acre as I had of the stable manure; then harrowed it all, and planted to corn; the next spring sowed it to oats and seeded it to timothy and clover. There has been quite a perceptible difference in each crop in favor of the compost. I could see a difference in color and in growth of each crop, for more than fifty rods from the field, for three years past, I did not harvest it separately to know the exact difference the land and treatment all the same. West Fawlet Vt.

S. D.

In

WHEAT FOR CATTLE FEEDING.-The London Agricultural Gazette, in answer to the inquiry-" which is the cheapest food for cattle-wheat, barley, oats, cake, maize || Douglasii-creating as much wonder in the naturalist as or beans?-says: