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GENESEE FARMER. 



Sept. 



Saving manures. 



Mr. Editor : — In my humble opinion the ob- 

 taining and application of manures constitute the 

 very life of judicious Agriculture, and in no oth- 

 er part is there such lamentable carelessness and 

 inattention sliown. Even many who class with 

 the well informed of the farming community 

 seem to care almost nothing about what becomes 

 of the contents of their barn-yards, hog-sty, and 

 privy ; but let the liquid drain off through the 

 water courses, and find its way to the bottom of 

 the lake, or it is left in the sun to evaporate, while 

 the precious ammonia, to all intents and purposes, 

 is lost to the owner. I do not say that all farm- 

 ers are like this, but if I could have a small sum 

 for all I could fmd, who class themselves, and 

 \vi?h to be classed among the better portion of 

 farmers, I would take an excursion when I had 

 leisure, witli the prospect that I should be well 

 rewarded. And even those that try to save their 

 t)wn manure, do not know, or do not think how 

 to add to the heap. I knew one man in this 

 town to send his teams in the winter to the city 

 six miles after manure, while within half a mile 

 of his house was a marsh where he might have 

 •btained thousands of loads of the richest kind of 

 vegetable mold, which, with a very little trouble, 

 might be made into excellent manure, but prob- 

 ably he never thought of this, although he passed 

 by the place half a dozen times a day. There 

 are very few places in this country where marsh 

 mold cannot be obtained, with little trouble and 

 expense ; and if farmers would have the foresight 

 of otlier classes, they might enrich themselves, 

 and improve their soils. Western New York 

 might be the garden of the world. This is equal- 

 ly true of the VVest, in most parts of which may 

 be found small marshes tiiat at some time of tlie 

 year are overflowed with water, but at other times 

 admit of transportation over them. Most of 

 these contain, in addition to vegetable substances, 

 carbonate of lime, shell marl, &c., all of which 

 are easily converted into wheat and ®orn. Near 

 these beds of natural manure I have myself seen 

 fields entirely given up to sorrel ; they had been 

 run out so that nothing else would grow. A few 

 bushels of lime burnt from this marsh carbonate, 

 would have neutralized the acid, which is the 

 base of sorrel; and then, by the judicious appli- 

 cation of vegetable mold, these sterile fields 

 might have produced crops to any an)Ount. 



Probably their owners never thought of this, or 

 thinking, had not energy to leave the old track of 

 their fathers for these "new fangled notions in 

 book farming." Not only should the marsh be 

 made to contribute its stores, but every thing in 

 the shape of vegetable substances should be added 

 to the barn-yard, compost heap, o)- pig sty, and 

 all ways tried to add to tlie heap, and increase 

 the fertility of the soil. Very {'ew persons know 

 what a vast amount of vegetable matter is wasted 

 by being left exposed to the action of the sun, 



rains, and dews, or scattered promiscuously over 

 the fields where it is of little or no use. I am 

 aware that farms may be enriched by other, and 

 upon large farms, perhaps cheaper methods, by 

 plowing in green crops, by mineral manures, 

 &c., but of these it is not my purpose to speak. 

 The design of this is to urge upon all farmers to 

 adopt all practical methods of increasing their 

 barn-yard and compost manures. No doubt that 

 many soils are deficient in the mineral salts that 

 constitut)^ so important a part of the ingredients 

 of plants, and that a proper application of miner- 

 al manures would be in the highest degree pro- 

 ductive of fertility ; still most farmers are not 

 yet sufficiently learned in Agricultural Chemis- 

 try, to know what mineral matters are wanted 

 on such and such soils, and tiie great mass will 

 still use the old fashioned product of the barn-yard. 



Now, Mr. Editor, would it not be good policy 

 to give a larger place to the use, collection, and 

 application of manures, both mineral and vegeta- 

 ble, in your truly valuable paper, and thereby 

 promote the great interest for which we are all 

 seeking, namely, the improvement of Agricul- 

 ture. Wishing you success in your noble call- 

 ing, I remain yours, F. W. L. 



Greece, Monroe Co., N. Y. 



"A Chapter on Wool Growing." 



Mr. Editor : — Your August number contains 

 an article with the above title, over the signa- 

 ture of " Observer," who appears to be in some 

 difficulty to understand the statement in your 

 July number concerning the fleece of my buck 

 •' Major." Perhaps I ought to have been more 

 explicit; but as I had mentioned in the June 

 number that his fleece was two years growth, 

 and supposing that those who read that number 

 would also read the July number, I thought it 

 not necessary to repeat : besides, it has been as- 

 certained, by fair trial, that a Merino sheep 

 going two years without shearing will not add 

 over one-third, or at the most one-half, to their 

 fleece the second year. 



" Observer" also says that I "seem to carry the 

 idea that there are artificial methods of increas- 

 ing the weight of wool." My language was, that.- 

 " there are a good many ways to get a heavy 

 fleece," which may be done in some cases where 

 the quantity of wool is increased, and in other 

 cases where the quantity is not increased. For 

 instance, lambs dropped the first of April, and 

 perhaps in March, and shorn the last of June ; 

 also sheep have been sown late one season, to 

 obtain a heavy fleece, .and the next fleece being 

 ghter was not reported. Sheep have been 

 smeared with tar and butter, instead of refuse 

 la-rd and grease; and although the former will 

 not increase the quantity of wool, it adds to the 

 weight of fleece, as it is not easily removed when 

 the sheep are washed, if indeed they are washed, 

 which in some instences is not the case, and the 



