1849. 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



i<>:* 



do once in a long time. I think they arc in an error. 

 For certainly if we plow only four inches we have 

 only four inches of soil for our crops to grow in; 



while, it' we plow eighl inches dei p, we have eight 

 inches of soil loosened for the crop, and there is no 

 doubt hut the crop would he benefitted in proportion 



to the depth of the plowing. 



There is another error I think farmers labor under 



— that is of throwing up their ground into narrow 



lands from three to six paces wide. The hest way, 

 in my experience, is to keep the land as level as pos- 

 sible; and in order to do this the lands should not be 

 less than twelve or eighteen paces. The ground 

 will thereby he kept level and smooth, and the grain 

 will crow evenly over the whole surface. 



But methinks I hear the farmer say, "What shall 

 I do to keep the water off my level land, if I do not 

 throw it up narrow?" I will tell you. Plow your 

 ground into lands of twelve paces, and after the seed 

 is dragged in, clean out the dead furrows — and then 

 draw furrows at right angles with the dead furrows, 

 the same distance apart as the dead furrows are, and 

 you have a square of twelve paces, or about, thirty- 

 six feet. And if the main ditch and the corners of 

 the others are well cleaned out with the shovel or hoe, 

 I will insure you against, any loss by water standing 

 on your wheat Try it, brother farmers, and I am 

 sure you will like the plan. 



Now, Mr. Editor, I wish to make an inquiry as to 

 your opinion whether saw dust strewn on to land and 

 plowed in would be of any benefit. We'liave a saw 

 mill on our place, and considerable saw dust has ac- 

 cumulated around and under it, and I think of draw- 

 ing a quantity of it and plowing into a summer fallow; 

 but if you think it will not be of any material benefit, 

 1 shall not do it. Last winter I drew several loads of 

 it, together with several loads of forest leaves, into 

 the barnyard for the purpose of trying to make ma- 

 nure of them. Since I have taken the Genesee Far- 

 mer, I have come to the conclusion that manure is 

 the true philosopher's stone — it turns all to gold it 

 touches. Farmer of Niagara. — Pekin, JYcw York, 

 May, 1849. 



Rem vrks. — We suppose that saw dust possesses 

 as much value as any ether vegetable matter, even 

 the dung of animals after it is leached of its soluble 

 salts. It is the material that forms hiimus, which is 

 the bread and meat of plants. Its action is not im- 

 mediate, except so far as it renders compact clayey 

 soils porous, and pervious to air and water. After it 

 has gone through a species of carbonizing process, 

 it becomes humus, the material that changes the color 

 and darkens all virgin and rich antripical soils. It 

 cannot fail of enriching any kind of soil, particularly 

 if the saw dust is from the hard woods. Pine, hem- 

 lock, and the whole fir family would have a delete- 

 rious effect, unless long composted, and the resinous 



quality destroyed by lime or natural decomposition. 



* 



Wind Mills. — In your Mav number, page lO^pl 

 find an inquiry about. Wind Wheels. If your cor- 

 respondent in Van Buren will take the pains to in- 

 quire of Mr. Truman Kidder, of Warren, Warren 

 co., Pa., he will obtain all the information he wishes, 

 and find exactly the wheel he wants. Subscrhskr. — 

 Warren, Pa., 1849. 



Wht not furnish us a brief description, price, &c, 

 for publication in the Farmer ? — Ed. 



NOTES FROM A WISCONSIN FARMER. 



Messrs. Boitoh i After wishing you the success 

 a valuable work merits, 1 will jot down a lew ram- 

 bling thoughts. 



1 would merely hint, to Dr. Horr that I think him 

 ahead of the 1 , , n t the potato rot. Were his 



statements correct a preventive is at hand. • 



undoubtedly he effected by dre Bing i 1 til or i 



with lime or ashes ,• tor I have found the application 

 of them sufficient to expel ever] kind I ■.. - < from 



the soil and crop. A half acre near tic house, I 

 supplied so liberally thai an insect is rarely Been on 

 it; and as evidence of this, neither hen or bird at- 

 tempt to find them, even when newly plowed. Yet, 

 even in this ground, the potatoes rot ; and though the 

 worm described is found in the corn fields and 

 where, I have not been able to detect it or any ol 

 insect in the potato vines — although 1 have exain 

 them for three years past, commencing as soon as I 

 could see they w-ere affected, and looking often until 

 cold weather, splitting the vines, kc. They rotted 

 three times as much on ground plowed ten or twelve 

 inches, as where plowed not more than six. 



Speaking of plowing leads me to another topic. — 

 I do not know but our western land may ultimately 

 need deep tilling: at present it appears not beneficial. 

 I know not whether we have any land that, with the 

 best management, would produce such a crop of corn 

 as stated by Mr. Sheldon. I have fifty acres that 

 will pro luce from seventy to ninety bushel- per acre, 

 by plowing from six to eight inches deep, and hoe- 

 ing, (without manuring or harrowing.) which i would 

 like to let some of the Gei have, that 



they might cultivate it thoroughly and see if it would 

 not produce as much as heart could wish, of corn, 

 wheat or root crops. The latter, with half cultiva- 

 tion, arc produced in astonishing quantities. 



I have a little native cow that has been kept out. at 

 the stack all winter, which will give as mrtch milk 

 and of as good quality as any Durham of her weight ; 

 but the art of obtaining as much butter or ch 

 therefrom, as we read in the Farmer that some have 

 done, I am confident we do not | 



I am told that one man, a few miles from here, has 

 commenced building wire fence, and finds it very ex- 

 pensive. We cannot go into it here so long as the 

 merchants make us pay twenty-five cents per lb. for 

 wire — and its utility and durabilit; bted. 



Our friend's views on "keeping the swinish mul- 

 titude at home" are to the point. I intend to show 

 the article to a well off Pennsylvania farmer, who 

 keeps a large herd of swine and pastures them wh lly 

 in the road, in hopes that he will take the hint. That 

 Van may be a decent man, aside from his polities. 



The Horticultural' Department of the Farmer we 

 all much need in this section. It contains the most 

 information on the subject of any journal that I have 

 been privileged with n a li ■. 



Though perhaps more applicable to the farmers of 

 New York and New England, (who farm it on a 

 smaller scale than us westerners,) I feel disposed to 

 continue the Farmer for the satisfaction of redding 

 it ; and learning what improvements are being mad" ; 

 also learning the views of man] d i and distant 



persons on various, and sot tortant subject , 



You perceive thai 1 cannot write like some of your 

 friends : but what I have written is in whole, part or 

 none, at your service, as our Van Buren friend says. 

 Smith. — Spring Prairie, tVis., May, 1849. 



