228 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Oct. 



Root Culture, 



Dear Editor : — There has been so much 

 ■written on the cultivation of roots, that it would 

 appear needless to say anything more on the 

 subject. Yet 1 think that iarmers generally do 

 dot realize the value of roots for winter feeding, 

 nor their great benefit in the improvement in 

 the quantity and quality of tlie manure. Every 

 farmer ought to raise at least two or three acres 

 per annum, and especially grain growers who 

 have plenty of straw and chaff. The principal 

 art of raising roots is, to make the ground rich, 

 and well pulverized ; and the fall is much tlie 

 best time to do it. Apply at the rate of 40, or 

 even .50 wagon loads of well rotted manure ; 5 

 bushels of plaster, and 5 or even 10 bushels of 

 a.shes per acre ; spread them evenly over the 

 surface, plow it 7 or 8 laches deep, and narroic 

 furroto not over 10 inches wide. In the spring, 

 as soon as the ground is sufficiently dry, harrow 

 or cultivate thorouglily until the ground is well 

 pulverized and the manure well mixed through it. 



Be sure to plant early^ before the ground gets 

 too dry to germinate the seed ; the last v, eek in 

 April or first of May, is generally the best time 

 for planting. Ridge the ground 2i or three feet 

 apart, and plant immediately. The greatest dif- 

 ficulty in the beet crop is, the ground becomes 

 dry before the seeds germinate, which prevents 

 them from coming up. Put in plenty of seed — 

 4- or 5 lbs. per acre — of the Beet or Wurtzel : 

 the expense of seeding at 5 lbs. per acre is not 

 equal to the cost of planting potatoes. 



For further particulars on root culture I would 

 refer the readers of the Farmer to a valuable ar- 

 ticle on the subject published in the June num- 

 ber of the present volume. 



Yours respectfully, W. Garbutt. 



Wheatland, Sept. 10, 1846. 



Remarks. — Our neighbor, Mr. G., has the 

 best field of roots we have seen this season. He 

 seldom fails of a good crop. Short as is his com- 

 munication on Root Culture, it is worth more to 

 practical farmers, than the price of five volumes 

 of this joLiriial. In regard to the use of wood 

 ashes, we will suggest that, on most soils, "10 

 bushels per acre spread evenly over the surface," 

 just before ridging and planting, will be more 

 useful than to apply only five bushels. 



Reproduction of the Potato. — We learn 

 from the Buflalo Commercial that the Rev. N. 

 S. Smith of that city has succeeded in producing 

 from potato balls by an unusual process a supe- 

 rior kind of this tuber. His practice was to re- 

 plant for several succeeding crops not only the 

 small potatoes procured from the seed each year, 

 but the seeds also of every crop. By this pro- 

 cess the seeds as well as the tubers were pro- 

 gressively renovated ; and it is believed that 

 ti-ong vigorous plants capable of withstanding 

 the rot or blight have been obtained, 



Stone Walls, Snow Drifts, &c 



Editor (tenesee Farmer ; — 1 wish to call 

 the attention of your readers to the subject of 

 walls and snow drifts. I suppose it matter of 

 common observation in a time of deep snow, the 

 north and south roads are usually a good deal 

 l)locked up, and the traveling impeded in conse- 

 quence. Jkit where stone fence (whole wall) is 

 erected on the west line of the road, it is seldom 

 if ever materially obstructed by drifts on the 

 tj-ack, or pitch holes, as against rail or board 

 fences. The reason is obvious to all. The 

 slightest observation will tell the cause. Now 1 

 suggest that flirmers living on such north and 

 south roads build wall, if they have stone to build 

 such fence any where on their f;irm, on the west 

 side of the road in a continuous line as much as 

 may be. Could this be pretty generally gone 

 into through the country, it would save a great 

 inconvenience in travelling in seasons of deep 

 snows, which are usually in this section of coun- 

 try attended with high south-western winds; and 

 deep drifts and high ridges are the consequences 

 opposite rail fences The east and west roads 

 are seldom if ever thus obstructed, because the 

 same westerly winds sweep them more length- 

 wise. 



I would build the wall as follows : Level the 

 earth's surface for the reception of your bottom, 

 which should be of your largest sized stone. — 

 Lay your bottom on a straight line both sides : 

 from 30 to 34 inches in width. Level up and 

 lay on a course of cedar sticks, say from \ to h 

 inch in thickness, as wide as your timber will 

 make — to reach just across the top of this course 

 of stone. Proceed a\ ith your next sized stone, 

 and lay on one or two courses of stone, accord- 

 ing to your choice and supply of stick timber — 

 selecting out at the same time and laying back 

 stone of suitable length and size for topping stone. 

 Thus pi'oceed till your wall is of the desired 

 height to receive the last course of sticks, which 

 should be at least four feet. La}' your wall 

 pretty straight up, i. e. with little slant. Cut 

 this last coui-se of sticks so they will project over 

 each side of the w; 11 from four to six inches, say 

 six. Split them h or f of an inch thick. Put 

 them on and your selected stone top of them, 

 snugly placed and cliincked on each side. — 

 Boards are as good for this course as sticks, and 

 flat stone better than either, if you have them. 

 Plow two furi-ows each side and quite near the 

 wall — bank it up against the wall and it is done. 



You may ask, "What is the use of these long 

 sticks in the top course *?" It is to turn sheep. 

 Wall is the best fence against every otlier ani- 

 mal but slieep. A naked wall is but a small ob- 

 stacle in their way, and this is the cheapest and 

 best preventive against them that I have ever 

 tried The reader may see, if he will take the 

 pains to turn to the "Transactions of the N". Y^ 

 State Agricultural Society," for 1842, (p. 3-14,) 



