m 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



to a certain extent in the atmosphere, and as it has 

 a strong affinity for water, being absorbed by it in 

 large quantities; is it not reasonable to infer that it 

 is combined with the vapor, and with it conveyed to 

 the roots of growing plants to minister to their urgent 

 necessity? Like favorable effects may be produced 

 in mellow soil by the light showers that frequently 

 occur, even in the dryest weather. The difference in 

 the depth to which light showers will penetrate in 

 soils frequently stirred, and those left hard and baked, 

 i£ very appreciable. 



In conclusion, allow me to exhort my brother far- 

 mers to keep the plow, the hoe, and the cultivator 

 pretty busy in their corn, potatoes, root crops, and 

 even their wheat fields, believing it will do more to 

 counteract the injurious effects of our severe drouths, 

 than any other means which they can employ. 



Palmyra, JV. Y. P. C. R. 



That there are advantages to be obtained by stir- 

 ring the soil in dry weather, no person can doubt 

 who has ever tried it, and as there certainly is some 

 cause therefor, every enquiring mind well seek to know 

 what those causes are. I am convinced that by the 

 stirring, the soil causes the moisture from below to 

 rise to the surface, and also prepares the soil by loosen- 

 ing it to absorb and retain the moisture of the atmos- 

 phere, which is so very essential to the growth and 

 maturity of the growing crops, keeping it green and 

 in a flourishing condition during the dry weather. 

 Whereas if the soil is not stirred, (but let alone to 

 wait for rain, as some farmers have done to my knowl- 

 edge, because they were afraid they would kill, or at 

 at least very materially injure their crops,) after a few 

 days it will become so dry that the moisture from be- 

 low the surface will not rise even during the night 

 season sufficient to keep the crop green and flourish- 

 ing, and the soil will fail to absorb and retain the at- 

 mospheric moisture; hence the crop becomes wither- 

 ed and begins to show signs of failure much sooner 

 tiian where the soil was stirred and kept loose, proving 

 conclusively (to my mind at least) that stirring the 

 goil in dry weather is a great advantage to the grow- 

 ing crops. W 



Laurel, Delaware. 



The effect of the hot sun upon the soil is to ren- 

 der it dry and hard, and prevent the absorption of 

 moisture which would otherwise take place from the 

 dew and atmosphere. If left unstirred, this dryness 

 descends continually, and each day finds the soil less 

 able to absorb and retain that moisture which is ab- 

 solutely necessary for the growth of crops. The con- 

 sequence is they cannot come to maturity, and the 

 hot sun scorches them " to deatlu' But if the soil is 

 frequently stirred and kept loose and mellow, it can 

 —somewhat like a sponge — not only absorb a much 

 greater quantity of moisture, but also retain it, than 

 if it is left in that hard, impervious state which is so 

 very frequently permitted. D. S. 



Salem, Ohio. 



I HAVE observed to but little purpose if I am not 

 convinced of the necessity of stirring the soil in dry 

 weather. The garden and grainfields of every farmer 

 of any experience, have taught him a lesson in this 

 respect which he cannot forget Weeds and foreign 

 plaat? are entirely subdued if the ground is properly 

 stirred in dry weather; hence it gives to the crop a 



greatly increased supply of food and drink. Pulver- 

 ization of the soil can only be thoroughly effected at 

 this time, and here is an advantage that is not likely 

 to be overestimated. It is to the vegetable world 

 what mastication is to the animal; — much depending 

 upon the thoroughness with which this has been ef- 

 fected. 



A neighbor's cucumbers failed last year, and he 

 said to me "he thought they had been hoed too 

 muchr The only trouble was, in my opinion, they 

 had not been thoroughly hoed. An inch of the sur- 

 face, although better than nothing is not enough to 

 stir in dry weather ; it should be deep as well as 

 thorough. 



It leaves the soil in a proper state to receive warmth 

 and moisture, and to retain them longer. How soon 

 and evenly Nature's supplies of water are distributed 

 where the ground has been stirred in dry weather, 

 benefiting every plant alike, and there is not that 

 rapid evaporation which takes place where the ground 

 has become hardened from any cause. The Alwiee 

 often witholds the rain, and sometimes even the dew, 

 yet He has not left the farmer to be consumed in the 

 drouth, but has provided a substitute. — deep and 

 thorough pulverization of the soil We do not wish 

 to be understood as affirming that this will avail in 

 oil cases; but that it will greatly mitigate the evils 

 of a severe drouth, and that an ordinary spell of dry 

 weather will be really an advantage to the farmer. 



Scipio, A'. Y. A. J. C. 



THOUGHTS .SUGGESTED BY THE MAY NUlOEa. 



Messrs. Editors : — I do not intend to turn item- 

 izer for the Genesee Farmer, as that position is al- 

 ready ably occupied; but some of the prize essays 

 coincide so well with my notion of things, that I can- 

 not refrain from noticing them, and also of venturing 

 a few ideas of my own. First, " On the Management 

 of Milch Cows." .The method there described is en> 

 phatically the way milking should always be done in 

 stables, each cow tied in her place. " But," says one 

 " that is too much trouble."' Let ue presume_we have 

 a dairy of thirty cows. They very soon become ac- 

 customed to being milked in the stable, and the mo- 

 ment they are brought in will seek their respective 

 places, where they m.iy be fastened by a spry boy in 

 a very few minutes. This being done, the milkers 

 have a dry, clean floor under foot at all times. They 

 do not have to follow their cows about the yard. — 

 They have their milk stools on hand and always dry; 

 also hooks in the back part of the stable, upon which 

 to hang empty pails to contain the milk of each cow 

 as soon as milked. Then they need not sit down to 

 a cow with a pail nearly full, and possibly have it 

 turned over. Thus we leave each cow where she 

 was when we commenced milking; no hooking, no 

 running, no turning over the milk pails, no scolding; 

 but all the milking done comfortably, quietly and 

 speedily. Give them a little salt occasionally before 

 letting thera out of the stable, which will make them 

 anxious to get there again. 



But now let us milk in the yard. The thirty cows 

 are brougnt in and probably it is raining with a ven- 

 geance; five hands or less to do the milking; yard 

 littered with droppings mixed with mud; stools hang- 

 ing on the fence well soaked, &c. All the old coats, 

 old hats, and all other old dudsjthat can|be mustered, 

 are brought into requisition ; the consequence M 



