THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



Vol. X. 



SEPTEMBER 30, 1842. 



No. 9. 



EDMUND RUFPIN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. 



VALLKY COKTIMUKD. 



From the New Genesee Farmer. 

 Buckwheat is raieeti lo some extent, but not 

 largely. I could not learn that in any case it bnd 

 been used as a green-dressing to be ploughed in, 

 a process not unknown in some parts oClhe coun- 

 try, and Iron) which I believe much benefit may 

 be derived. The coei ot'ihe seed is a small affair; 

 and preference of such management over a naked 

 fallow can hardly admit ofa doubt. A tew care- 

 ful experiments in this case would decide an im- 

 portant qiiestion. 



Grasses. — The grasses cultivated are the red- 

 clover and timothy or herds-grass. The meadows 

 or alluvions on the Genesee river abound in rich 

 natural grasses, and are peculiarly favorable to 

 the growlii ol grass. 



In one or two cases, on a small scale, I found 

 the orchard grass cultivated ; but merely as an 

 experiment ; ami [ met with two small fields or 

 rather paiches of millet, sown probably for the 

 same reason. The stalk was extremely large, 

 which indicated, in my opinion, loo thin sowing; 

 certainly, if it were intended that it should be cut 

 for hay. This is a comaion error. The allow- 

 ance, with most farmers, of seed lor a crop of mil- 

 let is one peck per acre. 11 the land is rich, the 

 stalk in such case becomes as large as brush ; but 

 where a bushel is sown to an acre, the stalk is 

 small and fine, and the hay, when well cured, of 

 the very best description. I have myself obtained 

 three tons to an acre, weighed, alter being well 

 cured, at the public scale. 



Of grasses, clover is extensively cultivated. It 

 is sown on the wheat in the spring at the rate of 

 7 or 8 pounds lo the acre. It is commonly de- 

 pastured in the liill, and the field is allowed to 

 continue in clover the ensuing year, and the suc- 

 ceeding spring is ploughed and (allowed lor 

 wheat. In other cases it is depastured in the fall 

 of the year in which it is sown ; and in the en- 

 suing spring the land is ploughed and fallowed 

 lor wheat. 



There may be said to be three distinct kinds of 

 clover customarily sowed by the farniers ; the 



AGRicuLTURAT. EXCURSION IN THE GENESEE [traneous wct and slightly wilted, it is put into 



email cocks and eufiered so lo remain until it be- 

 comes made, which can only be determined by 

 good judgment and experience. The cocks are 

 then turned directly upside down, until the damp- 

 ness gathered at the bottom of the cock is wholly 

 dried off, and are then carried into the barn. I 

 have known this same method practised by some 

 of the best farmers in Massachusetts, and in 

 other parts of New York; and the hay under 

 such circumstances retains its sweetness and color, 

 the flowers and leaves are not shaken off and lost, 

 aa wheii ihe grass is much tossed about and 

 spread ; and the hay proves of an excellent quality. 

 Timothy or herds-grass cannot be said to be 

 cultivated extensively, though I think some of the 

 finest fields of herds-arass which 1 have ever 

 seen, I found on Mr. Le Roy's place near Avon, 

 on the opposite side of the river. I hardly know 

 what could be more luxuriant, even and beautiful. 

 On the Genesee flats above in the great valley, 

 the hay was most abundant, but, as I have re- 

 marked, of a more mixed character. Mr. Wads- 

 worth is accustomed to leed or depasture some of 

 his fields so lale in the spring that the' crop of 

 grass is not fit to be cul until the season is liar ad- 

 vanced. This divides and extends his time of 

 haying, as the different fields ripen in succession, 

 and his haying season reaches into September. 

 This laie-grown hay is, I presume, not so sub- 

 stantial and nutritious as an earlier crop would be, 

 partaking very much of (he character of rowen, 

 but this is compensated by the advantages of the 

 leed in the spring. The practice of lacking two 

 crops does not, that I could learn, prevail here: 

 and this I believe from ao oppressive feehng of 

 abundance rather than that il might not in niany 

 cases be done to advantage, lor with respect to 

 many of the farmers of this rich section of coun- 

 try, the case must be as with a (armer mentioned 

 in anoiher place, who needed lo pull down his 

 barns and build greater, that he might have 

 where lo bestow all his goods. 



It is difficult to e.ilimate with any great exact- 

 ness the ordinary yield of these best lands in 

 grass, but it may be salely put down as averaging 

 over two tons per acre, i do not know where 



first is the June or southern clover ; this is coin- finer crops are to be found, and this would be an 



paraiivtdy small and ripens early, the next is ihe 

 northern or Vermont clover, which ripens lale 

 and grows with great luxuriance ; the third is the 

 Ohio clover, which holds a medium character be- 

 tween the two. I found that both lor hay or (or 

 ploughing in with the stubble, larmers differed in 

 their choice, preferring either the southern or the 

 Ohio clover. The southern clover makes the 

 best hay and is more easily cured than either of 

 the others. The noribern clgver makes a very 

 coarse hay. 



The crop in general averages from two to three 

 tons. The opinion of many of the best praciical 

 farmers, whom I consulted, is decidedly tn favor 

 of curing it mainly by sweltering in ihe cock. In 

 this case it is cut but not spread, and alter lyinif 

 in swalh until it becomes entirely dry from cx- 

 VoL. X. -52 



under estimate of some fields which I went into. 



Hay Is, in many cases, stacked, sometimes near 

 the barns and at other times in the fields. I saw 

 but lew instances m which these slacks were 

 thatched ; but in many ihe slacks were put up 

 with extraordinary skill and care, and so were 

 pretty thoroughly protected against ihe weather. 

 Mr. Wadsworih has, scattered over his fields and 

 meadows, a great many smidl barns in which the 

 hay is stoied ; and at which places his cattle and 

 sheep are led in the winter, but not housed. 



The proper stacking of hay is quite an art, 

 which an Englishman or Scotchman understands 

 well ; and if allowed lo lake his own way will 

 perform with so much skill, I may add, tasie, ihat 

 I have oilen admired theue stacks lor their efl"ec- 

 tual protection of the hay, v\ hen well thatched, 



