THE GENESEE FARMER. 



115 



LARGE VS. SMALL BEANS. 



Messrs EniTor.f? : — I tried an experiment last sea- 

 son, to satisfy myself, which were tlie better beans to 

 plant, and give you the result, as follows: The small 

 beans j;ive nine and a half bushels from one of plant- 

 ing, and tlie large ones thirteen and three quarters 

 from one of planting. The land was light, as you see 

 by the crop, but equal in both casca. I concede that 

 a bushel of small beans, will plant as much land as 

 three bushels of large ones, and many will conclude 

 from this that there is four dollars saved in the item 

 of seed. To such I would saj', " don't be hasty gen- 

 tlemen." Don't you have to plant three times as 

 many hills to get out a bushel of small, as you do of 

 the large beans? — and then they fall four bushels short 

 of the larcre ones in product. Here then is a saving 

 in favor of the large beans of two thirds of the labor 

 and a gain of more than ono fourth in product from 

 a given quantity of ^ed. 



I plant beans north and south, if possible, rows 

 three feet apart, and eighteen inches apart in the row, 

 about six beans in a hill. 



I planted last season, three and one half bushels of 

 beans in my corn field, the product Of v/hich I scld 

 for about $100, expenses as follows: 



Planting with WaKefield'g patent corn planter, $3.50 



Seed,.... 7.00 



PuUinn; anc cuttiopr, 6.0O 



Thresliing and cleaning, 7.&0 



Total expense, S24.00 



You will preceive there is no item in the expenses 

 for hoeing. The reason of this is, that I plant the 

 beans within four or five inches of the hill of corn, 

 and they are both hoed at one and the same time, 

 without extra labor. 



I plant the beans the south side of the corn; pull 

 the beans and hang them on the corn hills, and let 

 them remain, until the com is ready to cut up. They 

 are then thrown down into heaps, the corn cut and 

 set up; at which time I can drive the team and get 

 them, as I do hay in tumbles. W. L. B. 



Brandon, Vt. 



T OBJECTS OF PLOWING. 



, Editors Farmer: — "When following the plow, my 

 thoughts are ever busy on various subjects, and 

 among them have been meditations on the query, 

 " What are the objects of Plowing ? " A simple 

 question, the reader may think, but one which the 

 farmer cannot give too thorough an investigation. 

 Let us state (without particular care as to method) 

 some of the reasons for the practice under considera- 

 tion: 



1. We plow to secure a seed-bed of fresh turned 

 soil for planting or sowing. 



2. We plow to destroy one crop (of weeds or 

 grass) in order to produce another. 



3. We plow to bury growing vegetation, as a 

 means of increasing the fertility of the soil. 



4. "We plow to bury manures, for the same pur- 

 pose. 



5. "We plow to loosen and pulverize the texture of 

 the soil, the better to fit it for growing plants. 



6. "We plow to bring up a fresh portion of the 

 soil to the sun, rain and air, as in summer fallows 

 and fall plowing. 



Here arises another questioa— one full of impor- 



tance to the farmer — "Does ploivinf^, as usually per- 

 formed, accomplish the desired objects?'' 



1. Do we get a soed-bed of fresh turned soil for 

 plowing or sowing ? Not unless great care ia taken 

 to leave no balks or unplowed spaces. 



3. Does plowing destroy the crop of grass or weeds, 

 as desired ? iSee for yourselves, and answer. Does 

 not much that is called plowing fail wofuUy here ? 



3. For this reason we lose the full benefit to be 

 derived from plowing under green crops. 



4. And also barn-yard manures. They are not 

 fully buried under the soil, and no plow can mix 

 them, as usually applied, with the soil, as should be 

 done to get their greatest immediate etlect. 



5. To loosen and pulverize the soil, we must eat 

 deep, narrovv furrows, instead of wide, shallow ones. 

 And the ploiv (and the Harrow) is an imperlect im- 

 plement lor this purpose, but the best yet known. 

 I'roperly employed, it can do much more than ia 

 generally accomplished. "We are too anxious for 

 " progres.s," and so plow wide, shallow, flat furrows, 

 which "cut and cover," not break up the soil. 



6. Summer fallow, with repeated plowings, aerates 

 and pulverizes the soil. So does fall plowing, by ex- 

 posing it to the action of the frost — if, jirst, the 

 plowing be well done — furrows deep and narrow, and 

 lapping each other; and second, proper drainage be 

 provided, so that no water be compelled to pass off 

 by evaporation, for want of other outlet. 



Fineness and depth of soil are wanted to secure 

 the best growth of any crop. It should be penetra- 

 ble to eveiy minute root, and the manure should be 

 thoroughly incorporated therewith, that it may sup- 

 ply tiie demand for food. It should be open to the 

 influences of air and moisture, and ready outlet be 

 provided for all surplus of the latter. 



But there is no end to the suggestions which thk 

 subject calls up. May I leave it for your readers to 

 think out for themselves ? B. F. 



FAEM HOUSES IN MICHIGAN. 



Messrs Editors: — I have taken a good deal of 

 interest in the building department of the Farmer, 

 but find that most of the plans are rather expensive 

 for this new county where many of the original log 

 cabins are still occupied, and very few farm houses 

 cost over one thousand dollars. 



The houses recently built in this vicinity (Oakland 

 Co., Michigan,) though individually dissimilar hare 

 generally a strong family resemblance, viz: 



Main building, gable end to road, story and a half, 

 about 18 X 26 feet, nice room, bedroom stairway with 

 cellar stais underneath, about two rooms above, cel- 

 lar whole size, with hatchway door outside. Front 

 door ornamental, seldom opened except on wedding 

 and funeral occasions. Wing, one story, containg 

 living room, bedroom, frequently a bed recess, pantry 

 and woodroom. Sometimes a part of the woodroom 

 is used for a cookroom in summer, but generally, let 

 the hou.se be ever so large and convenient, a rough, 

 leaky board shanty must be stuck on back for the 

 especial benefit (?) of the cook and cook stove in hot 

 (or showery) weather. Solon Cooley. 



Four Towns, Oakland Co,, Mich. 



Remarks. — [We should be glad if our correspoa- 

 dents in difierent parts of the country, would furnj.sk 

 us with plans of cheap and couvenient farm houses-J 

 — Eoa. ' 



