Vol. 6 



GENESEE FARMER. 



iSl 



For the Genesee Fara'or. 



CROPS IN CENTRAL NEW YORK. 



Editor Gbn. Farmer — As your space is small, 

 ! restrict myself to a simple detail of experiments 

 and results, in vegetable growth and culture this 

 season, in this vicinity. 



The best piece of corn I have seen this year, 

 grown with the least labor, 70 bushels to the acre, 

 was raised by Judge Clarke in a drained swamp, 

 two miles north of this place; the sub-soil is a hard 

 compound of fine light grey sand and clay, which 

 will not effervesce with sharp vinegar ; the surface 

 soil is two feet deep, a porous, rooty mass of black 

 vegetable mould, in which the eye can hardly detect 

 a trace of inorganic matter. The looseness of this 

 mould seemed to enable it to absorb the atmospher- 

 ic gases, by capillary attraction ; a result produc- 

 ed on a heavy surface, only by frequent workings. 



Ebenezer Bartlett's corn, which prom.iaed so much 

 in July, failed to ear well, partly owing- to excess- 

 ive drought, but mainly to its being planted too 

 close to succeed in a drought. Had the suckers and 

 half the stalks been cut out before the corn began 

 to silk, he thinks, and so do I, the yield might have 

 been doubled. Mr. Bartlett saj's that where he 

 had applied common salt to his fiax crops, the balls 

 contained from four to eight more seed, than those, 

 ■which received no part of the solution. Mr. B. 

 took the premium at our last year s fair, for the 

 •best farm in the county : he is one of those rare 

 farmers, over whose skull traditionary prejudice 

 has formed no crust ! 



I have this season for the first time, so far mas- 

 tered the worms, as to grow perfect fiat turnips in 

 ray garden, as a second crop, after the corn was 

 cut up. They were sowed 20th August, but did not 

 come up until a fortnight after ; some of the tur- 

 nips are five inches over, and still growing, this 

 18th Nov. The drought of the season has undoubt- 

 edly done much to destroy worms, and other insects; 

 but I attribute my success mainly, to a liberal ap- 

 plication of a compost of salt, ashes, plaster, and 

 chamberlie. In default of plaster, use a little sulpher. 



I am sorry to say that the potatoe rot, has lately 

 made its appearance among potatoes, which when 

 dug, appeared sound. 



The mnjic effect of Draining. A neighbor has a 

 clay garden which has sufficient inchnation to carry 

 off water ; still, in spite of a large admixture of 

 coarse manure, the surface would bake and crack 

 open in dry weather. Last spring he cut two deep 

 diches on each side the garden, forty feet a part. 

 The result is that the mechanical structure of the 

 soil appears to be changed, from a heavy tenacious 

 clay, to a light and porous loam, on which the 

 drought of this season had no injurious effect. 



In the face of all the croaking of our farmers, 

 about the effects of the drought, the fact is indis- 

 putable, that our crops of grain, and flax seed, are 

 at least one fourth greater than they ever were 

 before, in any one season. 



It is refreshing now and then to hear an intelligent 

 practical farmer, bear witness to the value of ag- 

 ricultural papers. Many farmers object to them, 

 because some of the articles are not "to their taste. 

 This is quite as sensible an excuse, as that of the 

 landlord, who stopped going to church, because 

 one of the wardens, who was also a supervisor, 

 would not grant him a license. A man who has 

 this year grown a heavy crop of plump wheat, when 



other wheat in the vicinity was more or less shrunk- 

 en, told me, that he attributed his success entirely 

 to comporting the manure applied to his wheat with 

 swamp muck, plaster, lime, ashes, tsalt, k,c. — 

 Some farmers have commenced burning their refuse 

 wood into charcoal for manure. Such an experi- 

 ment five years ago, would have been ridiculed, aa 

 labor lost. S. W. 



Waterloo, Seneca Co., Nov, 18, 1845. 



For Tlie Gencsco Farmer. 



TO THE FARMERS OF WYOMING. 



Mk. Editor — Permit me to address a few lines to 

 my brother Farmers of Wyoming Count}', tlirough 

 the medium of your useful journal. 



Fellow Laborers ! the Summer's toil is past, and 

 our Winters leisure is at hand ! The labor of the 

 day is generally over at six o'clock, P. M., which 

 affords us at least throe hours each day, for mental 

 improvement; and it would certainly bo wise in us 

 to spend a portion of our leisure, in acquiring knowl- 

 edge relative to our own pursuit. 



The Publisher of the Genesee Fanner intend^j in- 

 creasing its pages on the first of January, and yet 

 afford it at fifty cents per annum . It certainly is one 

 of the cheapest journals now published. Being ex- 

 clusively devoted to the farming interest, it is the 

 duty, as well as advantage of each farmer, to give it 

 his support ; and the cost k- so trifling it cannot pos- 

 sibly be felt by any of up. 



For variety of soil and productions, our county is 

 not second in the State. In industry and enterprize 

 our farmers are not deficient— and I hope we shall 

 soon prove that we are not behind in agricultural 

 knowledge. But to effect this, we must become ag- 

 ricultural readers, and the first of January is the time 

 to commence. Let each one of us, then, become a 

 subscriber to the Grnrsee Farmkr, at least — and as 

 many other journaLs as we think proper to support. 

 I feel confident, {yes, and proud to think,) that the 

 Editor will be able to say that ho has more farmer 

 subscribers from Wyoming, than a.ny other county 

 in the State. Lei as many of us as have leisure, 

 take an interest in procuring subscribers. Much 

 can be done in this way: a few words of encourage- 

 ment can frequently effect much in a good cause. 



But if any of us are successful, and procure a few 

 extra names, do not let us demean ourselves so far 

 as to become six-penny shavers. It is certainly small 

 business, for a farmer who pretends to be public- 

 spirited, and a friend and patron oi agricultural jour- 

 nals, and improvement, to tax the Publisher, because 

 he forwards a few of his neighbors ntmes, as sub- 

 scribers. Whatever number you may procure, for- 

 ward the 50 cents for each: it is certainly a small 

 enough sum. It is ray intention to forward fifty 

 names for the ensuing volume, and for each one I will 

 send the fifty cents. 



And when you geL the papers, read them; and let 

 us form Farmers' Clubs, and meet at least monthly, 

 to discuss their contents, and prepare something to 

 be published in the next number — if nothing better, 

 let it be the proceedings of the Club. But when we 

 find any thing in the journal, which we think errone- 

 ous, do not find fault, endeavor to pick flaws, or 

 point out errors in others comnmnications. Give 

 your own views, and the reasons therefor, as correct- 

 ly as you can ; l.nt let others alone. Fault finding 

 is a poor business, aviJ never docs any good. 



Yours trulv, A BROTHER FARMER. 



Wyoming, N<>v. 26, 1845. 



