182 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Aug. 



Canada Thistles. 



If a peck of salt will destroy the Canada 

 thistles on a square rod, how mucli will it require 

 to destroy them on an acre ? — And will it pay ? 

 As in my case, I have no doubt it will pay well. 

 The first of these pests that I discovered on my 

 farm, was in 1844 ; and thinking to eradicate 

 them at once, (only about a square rod.) I went 

 with a man, cart and oxen, dug them all up, soil, 

 turf and all, carted them to the road, and tiped 

 them into a mud hole. The last season, (1845,) 

 I discovered that either they had all got back 

 again, ^r I had left roots in the ground, for they 

 were more plentiful than before I dug them up. 



As a second effort I applied a peck of salt, 

 scattered on the surflice. Result : Not one 

 thistle could be found in September following. 



Lockport, 1846. Niagara. 



We owe an explanation to '• Niagara," rela- 

 tive to the above, and another article on tlie Po- 

 tato Disease. They were written on the same 

 sheet with a business communication, and inad- 

 vertently filed with other letters — and thus over- 

 looked for several months. ji. 



Deep and Shallow Breaking, 



A CoRRESPONEENT of the Prairie Farmer, in 

 answer to an article of another writer on the 

 subject of deep plowing says : — 



How deep it will do to break burr oak open- 

 ings I cannot say from experience, having no 

 such land myself, but should judge that deep 

 breaking would answer quite as well as shallow ; 

 and here probably is" the difference among far- 

 mers on deep breaking : the deep breaking party 

 having openings, and tlie shaUoio breaking party 

 prairie. Gentlemen please say what kind of 

 soil you are breaking uj), then each person can 

 judge for liimself whether it will suit his case or 

 not. Every year has brought additional proof to 

 me that shallow breaking on the j)rairie is 7)iost 

 decidedhf the best for all crops. Cutting off a 

 plant at the neck is always the most fatal to it ; 

 shallow plowing will cut the weeds and grass oil' 

 at or near the neck of the plants and they conse- 

 quently soon die, decomposition takes place rap- 

 idly, and a few weeks after the ground is broken — 

 provided the grass is in a luxuriant .state of 

 growth — the turf can be easily pulverized with 

 the harrow, and fine crops succeed. When the 

 old grass can be left and burned off immediately 

 before plowing, it will still increase the crop. 



Deep plowing in after culture is most certainly 

 to be preferred. All weeds, foul seeds, and 

 stubble, will then be so disposed of as to keep the 

 soil open and add to instead of diminishing the 

 crops Many of the small seeds will by subse- 

 quent plowings again be brought to the surface 

 and vegetate ; but a judicious system of rotation 

 will remedy this to a great extent." 



A Farmer's Barometer, 



Mr. Editor : — As the season of haying and 

 harvest will soon be upon us, and to many it will 

 be of importance to know how to predict a storm 

 without the expense of purchasing a Baromter, 

 I send you a description of an instrument which 

 answers every purpose. 



Take a small stick about three feet long, a 

 trifle smaller at one end than the other; at the 

 large end tie a viol filled with atmospheric air, 

 tightly corked or sealed. This should then be 

 suspended by a string, so that it will nearly bal- 

 ance in ordinary weather. Wlien the viol sinks 

 down, or the small end rises up, a storm may be 

 expected ; and on the contrary, when the small 

 end sinks, fine weather will ensue. The phi- 

 losophy of it is this : The air in tlie viol always 

 remaining the same, rises or falls according as 

 the atmosphere is heavier or lighter — acting on 

 the same principle as the mercury in the Barom- 

 eter tube. This is a very simple instrument. — 

 Any person can make one in a kw minutes, and 

 it may save him considerable trouble. 



Greece, June, 1846. F. W. L. 



HISTORIC'AL CHART, containing the prominent events 

 of the Civil, Religious, and Literarj- History of the World, 

 from the earliest times to the present day. By Azel S. 

 Lyman. Philadelphia, 184o. 



We are indebted to Mr. Benj. Mortimer for 

 a copy of this work. From a hasty glance at 

 its contents, we are of opinion that it is well cal- 

 culated to aid and facilitate the student of history. 

 The Chart will be found invaluable to young pu- 

 pils, and is very valuable and convenient to all 

 as a safe guide for reference. The Chart is ac- 

 companied with a Key, with explanations, and 

 questions, designed for the use of pupils. 



Mr. Mortimer, the agent, is now on a tour 

 through Western New York, and will probably 

 place the Chart within the reach of all. Fisher 

 & Co., Booksellers, Exchange St., Rochester, 

 have the Chart for sale. Price $1,50. m. 



A Word to Butter Makers. — A Butter 



dealer suggests through the New York Tribune, 

 that those engaged in the manufacture of this ar- 

 ticle be careful and not salt tlieir butter too much, 

 keep it in new white-oak firkins of 50 and 100 lbs. 

 — proportioned to the number of cows — which* 

 are perfectly air tight. One half inch salt at 

 top and bottom without brine, unless to soak the 

 firkin, is all sufficient; keep it in a cool cellar 

 until frost comes and then forwai'd it to market. 

 It is atmospheric air which ruins butter, and if 

 kept free from it in cool situations it will keep 

 sweet for years. 



Cattle. — Sixty cars filled with cattle, mostly 

 from Western New York, passed through this 

 town over the Western Rail Road to Brighton, 

 on Friday night last. So says the Bay State 

 Farmer of July 15, published at Worcester, Mass. 



