can see no possible means by which to hasten 

 such an event, except by using' the requisite 

 means for dilFusing a true knowledge of those 

 p'inciples, whether chemical or agricultural, 

 upon which the dairj-maii's success depends. — 

 No doubt whatever exists tliat the consumption 

 of the articles of butter and cheese will be ma- 

 terially increased if the quality can be improved. 

 Your Committee are prepared to believe that 

 the butter and cheese dairies are in a state of 

 rapid imx'rovement. They infer this from the 

 fact that, at the commencement of the Agricul- 

 tural fcfocieties, eminent dairymen ^vere willing 

 to compete for premiums, but were not willing 

 to comply with the terms of the Society, by fur- 

 nishing a full and detailed statement of the mode 

 of operation, for fear of divulging the secret of 

 their success. This illiberal prejudice is fast 

 wearing away, and the beneficial effects result- 

 ing from the publications of the Society is being 

 materially felt. 



During the last year a Census has been taken, 

 in which are embodied valuable details respect- 

 ing the cropsof this State. Your Committee for- 

 bear quoting from these statistics, as the whole 

 is in course of publication. But your Committee 

 are grieved to find that some of the crops re- 

 turned, fall much short of the yield per acre from 

 what might have been reasonably expected. — 

 One of these — Wheat — has long been a staple of 

 the State, and the falling off of this crop, in a 

 large number of the older and more populous 

 Counties of the State, is a serious public calam- 

 ity ; not only because it diminishes the profits of 

 the farmer, but because it drains these Counties 

 of a large amount of specie to furnish these bread- 

 stuffs, which are indispensable for their subsist- 

 ence and comfort. 



This calamity is owing in a great measure to 

 the i-avages of the Wheat-Fly ; an evil which 

 does not seem to abate, and for which there 

 seems to be no certain cure. Although the evil 

 cannot be eradicated, the Committee believe 

 that in the papers of the Society, will be found a 

 detail of a method of culture which will measu- 

 rably alleviate, if not entuely avoid, the ravages 

 of the weevil. 



In common with several European countries, 

 this State has been visited with a disea.se which 

 has seriously affected both the yield and quality 

 of the poor man's esculent — the Potato. The av- 

 erage yield of this valuable root ought to be near- 

 ly if not quite tv^o hundred bu.shels per acre, 

 throughout the entire State, and yet from the 

 Census returns, it does not amount to more than 

 ninety. This calamity early arrested the atten- 

 tion of the State Society, and they are ready to 

 believe that the communications which they are 

 about to publish will have a decided and bene- 

 ficial effect upon the culture of this inestimable 

 root. Unless this is the fact, and the disease goes 

 on increasing in intensity and malignity, the 

 moi^t serious consequences will ultimately be 

 realized. Already a less quantity of land is 

 planted with potatoes by the fanner. Thus the 

 amount of«he crop is diminished, and if it is still 

 farther diminished by di.sease, the poor will se- 

 verely suffer. 



It is a singular fact that the restrictive policy 

 which has clo.'sed the ports of England against 

 the ^vorld, was commenced in the reign of Eliz- 

 abeth — durinar whose reign the potato ■was first 

 introduced into Europe — and that owing to the 

 lamentable failure of this national root crop, this 

 restrictive policy is about to be abandoned. — 

 Strange that so humble an agiicultural produc- 



~ (1142) 



tion should have such momentous influence up- 

 on the destinies of great nations! 



In connection with this subject, j'our Commit- 

 tee would remark, that the American famier 

 must have his attention drawn to the use of salt 

 as manure in in an especial manner. Salt has 

 not been used for this purpose to any very great 

 extent, as your Committee leam. Yet it has 

 been satisfactorily proven by numerous experi- 

 ments in the County of Onondaga and else- 

 where, that the free use of salt has very much 

 added to the yield of the land. 



This is an important fact ; yet there is some- 

 thing connected with the use of salt as manure 

 of almost equal importance ; that is, the unparal- 

 leled agencj- of salt in destroying insects of al- 

 most every kind. No fanner should neglect to 

 use salt as a manure upon all those fields liable 

 to the pestiferous ravages of die grub, ^vire-worm 

 and caterpillar. In gardens it is invaluable, es- 

 pecially in those which have Ions been worked 

 and are very rich. The disease of the potato, be- 

 fore mentioned, whatever may be its cause, is 

 found to yield its virulence to the agency of salt, 

 and no potato crop should be planted without 

 salt being used, in whole or in part, as a ma- 

 nure. 



There is also good reason for believing that 

 where salt is used for manure, the disease of the 

 Wheat crop, known by the name of rust, which 

 more or less every year affects it injuriously, 

 will be measurably abated if not wholly averted. 

 At all events, it is well established, that in one 

 particular district of England, where old brine 

 has long been used as a manure, rust rarely if 

 ever makes its appearance. It is true that there 

 is a wide difference between the cold, damp 

 climate of England, and the hot and di-y climate 

 of New^York. Still the subject deserves the es- 

 pecial attention of the New-York fanner. 



To TAKF. THE HoNEY WITHOUT DESTROYING 



THE Bees. — In the dusk of the evening, when 

 the bees are quietly lodged, approach the hive, 

 and tuiTi it gently over. Having steadily placed 

 it in a small pit, previously dug to receive it, 

 with its bottom upward, cover it with a clean 

 new hive, which has been properly prepared, 

 with a few sticks across the inside of it, and 

 rubbed with aromatic herbs. Having carefully 

 adjusted the mouth of each hive to the other, so 

 that no aperture remains between them, take a 

 small stick, and beat gently round the sides of 

 the lower hive for about ten inches or a quarter 

 of an hour, in whicii time the bees will leave 

 their cells in the lower hive, ascend, and adhere 

 to the upper one. Then gently lift the new hive, 

 with all its little tenants, and place it on the .stand 

 from which the other hive was taken. This 

 should be done some time in the week preceding 

 Midsummer-day, that the bees may have time, 

 before the summer flowers have faded, to lay in 

 a new stock of honey, which they will not fail 

 to do, for their sub.sistence through winter. 



[Cooley's Cyclo. of Prac. Receipts. 



Apple Sugar. — Express the juice, and add 

 chalk until the whole of the acid is saturated ; 

 pour off the clear liquor; then clarify by boiling 

 in a clean pan with some white of egg ; skim off 

 the dirt : and lastly evaporate by a gentle heat 

 to a proper consistence. I{ema)-kx. 1 cwt. of 

 apples yield about 84 lbs. of juice and IS lbs. of 

 crude sugar. [Cooley's Cycle, of Prac. Rec. 



