404 



NEW KXGLAND FARMER, 



.TI'XE 23, 1«34. 



From Goodsetfs Farmtr. 

 IMPROVEMENT I!V AGRICULTURE. 



It is but fifteen years, since the first agricultural 

 periodical was established in the United States. — 

 This was the American Fanner, a weekly paper 

 commenced at Baltimore in March 1819, and was 

 continued till .March hist, when it was discontinued. 

 The New-England Farmer, published at Boston, 

 was next in order of time, and is now extended to 

 the twelfth volume. These publications have bad 

 an important influence on the agriculture of those 

 sections of country where they have been circu- 

 lated and read. More recently, numerous other 

 publications devoted to the same great object, most 

 of them of high character, have been commenced 

 and are still progressing. The result of all this is, 

 that men of science and wealth have had their 

 attention drawn to this subject; and agriculture, 

 both as a science and an employment, has greatly 

 improved in character; and is, we hope, suou to 

 be advanced, in this country, to the high rank, 

 which it has so long deservedly occupied in Eu- 

 rope. 



The benefits resulting from agricultural publica- 

 tions, are becoming more and more important. — 

 The spirit of inquiry is abroad. Scientific and well 

 conducted experiments are constantly developing 

 new principles in the science of physics; and the 

 authors of new discoveries and valuable improve- 

 ments are more liberal than formerly, and less re- 

 luctant to give the benefit of their experiments to 

 the public. 



There is no branch of human industry, to which 

 gcience could he applied with greater benefit, than 

 to that of husbandry; and yet there is no branch 

 for which science has done so little. The reason 

 is, fanners have been too negligent to avail them- 

 selves of the discoveries made by others. This 

 they can now do at a very trifling expense. 



Discoveries of new and important principles of 

 Natural Science have been made, on which new 

 modes of husbandry have been founded, highly 

 beneficial in their results; but these benefits have 

 as yet-been confined to a few. 



There seems but one very serious obstacle to 

 the general diffusion of these benefits, among all 

 classes of fanners ; and that is, the want of a thor- 

 ough conviction that knowledge is both power ami 

 wealth to the agriculturist, as well as to the me- 

 chanic or the professional man. The truth is, 

 though our farmers are generally industrious, their 

 industry is not always wisely or profitably directed. 

 Facta are always worth more than arguments 

 in the search after truth, and abundantly show the 

 value of science as the means of improvement in 

 husbandry. 



During the last twenty years, while most of our 

 farmers have been impoverishing their lands, the 

 i in of new principles has enabled others 

 to renovate theirs. As an instance of this, Earl 

 Stimson, the President of the Agricultural Society, 

 for Saratoga county, N. Y. should be honorably 

 in mioned. He has brought into a state of almost 

 unexampled fertility, a worn-out farm ; and by a 

 course of cultivation, particularly described in a 

 former number of the Farmer, has increased his 

 Crops of corn, from 15 or 20, to 80, 100, and the 

 last year to 150 bushels per acre — wheat, barley, 

 ami rye, from 10 or 15, to 40 or 50 bushels per 

 acre ; and hay from 1 ton to 3 1-2 aud 4 tons per 

 acre. To this statement of his crops, Mr. Stimson 

 adds, " I know from my own experience, that it 

 •does uot cost one half, if it does more than one 



third as much, to raise a bushel of grain by good 

 husbandry as it does by bad." From these facts 

 it seems perfectly clear, that the knowledge and 

 proper application of correct principles to practical 

 husbandry, not only greatly increases the farmer's 

 crop, but as greatly lessens the labor of cultivation. 



Among the most important improvements of the 

 present day, which claim the attention of agricul- 

 turists, is also that of farm-stock. That there are 

 improved breeds, greatly superior to the common 

 live slock of the country, and from which double 

 the tiett profits may be bad, with the same expense 

 of keeping, there remains no doubt. Nor let it be 

 said, that these breeds bear too high a price to be 

 introduced on to the farms of New-England. The 

 price is high, only because they are in the hands 

 of a few enterprising individuals ; the very circum- 

 stance which must render their introduction profit- 

 able to our enterprising farmers, who will under- 

 take it. 



To draw the attention of agriculturists strongly, 

 to these various and important improvements, is 

 all that is necessary to insure their introduction. 



This subject, when rightly understood, com- 

 mends itself, above all others of a mere secular 

 nature, both to the private interest and public spirit 

 of every class in the community; and he who shall 

 have done most to advance these great interests of 

 the country, will justly hereafter be considered its 

 greatest benefactor. 



From the Courant. 

 AGRICULTURAL,. 



As the season for hoeing Indian Corn approaches, 

 the writer of this article takes the liberty of sug- 

 gesting to farmers iu bis vicinity, a few bints rela- 

 tive to earthing or hilling up at the second and 

 third hoeings, or as it is commonly called, half 

 hitting and hilling. 



The practice of most farmers within my acquaint- 

 ance is, at half hilling to accumulate the earth from 

 two to four inches, and at billing from three to 

 five inches more, making each hill a pyramid of 

 about seven inches elevation. The reason offered 

 in support of this practice is, that the corn will 

 stand firmer and more erect, and therefore be less 

 liable to be broken down by the wind and rain. 



More than fifty years' experience in this branch 

 of agriculture has taught me that this is erroneous 

 both in theory and practice. By accumulating 

 earth upon the roots of the corn they are depriv- 

 ed of that influence of the air and sun which are 

 necessary to a healthy and vigorous growth.* Ev- 

 ery one acquainted with the natural growth of 

 this plant, must have observed the peculiar for- 

 mation of the brace roots which sprout upon the 

 stalk in a circular form a very little below the sur- 

 face of the ground, radiating from the stalk in ev- 

 ery direction. Iu like manner are the stalks of 

 wheat, rye, barley, oats, etc. furnished with their 

 brace roots, and stand in no need of hilling up to 

 give them strength and firmness in their position. 

 They are evidently designed to stay the stalk and 

 hold it iu an erect posture, not unlike the shrouds 

 of a ship to sustain the mast. To render these 

 braces sufficiently bard and strong to answer the 

 design of nature, they must have the influence 

 of the sun and air; but when buried by several 



inches of superincumbent earth, they become soft, 

 weak, and brittle, and nature to remedy this evil 

 Minis out another set above the former. These 

 occasion mi unnecessary waste of the nourish- 

 ment of the plant, and at that advanced season of 

 the year never become sufficiently indurated to 

 perform their office to the best advantage. 



If those farmers who may take the trouble of 

 reading this article, should doubt the correctness 

 of this reasoning, they are respectfully invited to 

 test it by experiment upon a few rows or hilis. 

 For many years past the writer has practised upon 

 the principles here recommended, and has uni- 

 formly been successful in bis crop. 



It may also be remarked that great injury is 

 done both by the plough and the hoe at the time 

 of hilling, by breaking and wounding the long 

 fibrous roots so necessary to the growth and 

 strengdi of the stalk. After the weeding or first 

 hoeing, neither the plough or the hoe should Ire 

 allowed to penetrate any deeper than is necessary 

 to destroy the weeds and grass. 



In cultivating the potato, the same reasoning 

 so far as it respects the accumulation of earth, will 

 apply — the bulb is formed simultaneously wiib 

 the blossom bud. If, after that period there be 

 much hilling up, the first formed bulbs grow but 

 little ; being out of the reach of that warmth and 

 air which are required for a perfect growth, and 

 another set above them is produced. Hence it is 

 that by this mode of culture so great a proportion 

 of the crop consists of small bulbs. Every culti- 

 vator must have observed that the largest potatoes 

 in the till are invariably found near the surface of 

 the ground. Cornpi.anter. 



* It is well known where excavations are made in construct- 

 ing canals and rail roads, and die earth to any considerable 

 depth thrown upon the roots ol' large and healthy trees, it caus- 

 es their dealli within a year or two, by placing their roots be- 

 low the influence of the air, and warmth of the sun — the same 

 effect is produced, and from die same cause, where limber 

 land is flooded by water. 



From f/ie ftuUimore Famc*r. 

 PASTURING WHEAT. 



Pasture's wheat closely, in the spring of tlte 

 year, has been often practised to advantage in de- 

 stroying the fly. It is now too late in the season 

 to practise tliat method this year. If farmers 

 would early examine their wheat, and when the 

 fly is found committing its ravages, would turn in 

 their stock and pasture it down closely, they would 

 frequently save their crops. This insect deposits 

 its eggs betwe«n the stalk and first leaf, near tics 

 root ; — as the larva approaches to maturity, and 

 increases in size, it exudes a poisonous moisture 

 from the external covering of the larva, which 

 causes the stalk to sphacelate ; and by the increas- 

 ed bulk, pressing between the leaf and stalk, it 

 obstructs the free circulation of the sap, and pre- 

 vents a sufficient supply for the nourishment of tlte 

 head and grain. By the disease caused in tlte 

 stalk immediately in contact with the larva, the 

 stalk is frequeutly broken off, and falls. 



By pasturing closely, at the proper season of 

 the year, which by the account below, corroborated 

 by my own experience, may be as late as the 21st 

 of May, the egg or young larva will be destroy- 

 ed ; and at the same time, accordipg to the laws of 

 vegetation, the cutting off the tops of the wheat 

 will cause new lateral shoots, which will have no 

 tlics in them ; and the roots spreading, as is al- 

 ways occasioned by cutting the tops, a greater sup- 

 ply of nourishment will be afforded to the grain. 



Farmers are generally induced to sow late in 

 consequence of the ravages of the fly in early 

 sowed grain ; — but it is worthy of their considera- 

 tion, whether it would not be better to sow early 

 and to sow less, manure more, and to have a flna 

 pasture ctrly in the spring, when all supply of 



