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THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Aug. 



trust no American farmer will rest satisfied with his 

 acquirements, while there is a field of useful knowl- 

 edge before him to be explored, or a single truth to 

 be ascertained that can add to his store of knowledge, 

 or contribute to the elevation and advancement of his 

 profession. I have long felt that we need, as farmers, 

 opportunities for preparing our sons for their pursuits 

 as they should be prepared. I rejoice that the day 

 seems to be dawning for the accomplishment of the 

 object, and I am desirous, nay anxious, to engage with 

 my brethren in hastening forward this all-important 

 work. 



THE SEASON -FRUIT- CROPS -INSECTS, &c. 



The last winter in Western New York was deci- 

 dedly an open one, with little snow, and one or two 

 cold days, such as has not been chronicled in this re- 

 gion for the last twenty years. The thermometer 

 sunk to nine degrees below zero at Rochester, and at 

 the distance of twenty miles from the lake, to twelve 

 and even fifteen degrees in some locations. 



Ten degrees below zero begins to affect the fruit 

 bud of the peach, and fifteen is totally fatal to it, at 

 any period during the winter. In this region, about 

 two-thirds of the buds blossomed, but a wet, rainy, 

 and cold period, with an east wind, set in, and imme- 

 diately after the petals of the flower cast off, the en- 

 tire leaves of the trees were affected with the curl, 

 an enlargement and thickening of the center parts, 

 and they all fell to the ground; and consequently there 

 were no organs to carry on the circulation — the 

 sap gummed and oozed through the bark, and a 

 great portion of the fruit was lost. All those branches 

 that put out the terminal bud again w T ere sound — the 

 others died, so that there is not a quarter crop of that 

 delicious fruit. 



The same continuous wet and cold weather in the 

 latter part of May, destroyed the apple, either by a 

 disturbance of the process of impregnation, or a de- 

 gree of cold that disorganized the tender germ. — 

 They all fell, and many trees cast a good part of their 

 first leaves, as though caused by an early frost. — 

 There is no orchard, that we are advised of, that will 

 produce ten bushels, where it should have produced 

 one hundred. It is a total failure. 



Wheat is a great crop, and if the present drought 

 does not continue too long, corn and potatoes will be 

 an average. Hay is a full medium yield, and has 

 been secured in excellent order. 



There is an anomaly existing with respect to in- 

 sect life. The apple tree worm has lately disappear- 

 ed, as have the black, squash and striped bugs; and 

 the May bugs were scarcely seen. The rose bug is 

 greatly increased on light lands, and the curculio gen- 

 erally. Not one in ten bee hives have thrown out 

 swarms this year. 



The Fire Blight has attacked the pear tree exten- 

 sively this season, and is destined to destroy that va- 

 riety of fruit. It has also affected the apple and 

 quince, but it is never fatal to them, only killing the 

 small branches, as the virus is never carried to the 

 body or main branches. The cause of this disease 

 seems to be inscrutable to mortal vision. It is a 

 subject that has excited more discussion than any 

 other vegetable subtilty, except the chess question. — 

 We were for many years a believer of the doctrine of 

 a plethora of sap, more than the leaves could elabo- 

 rate; but from a daily examination during its opera- 

 tion for some years past, we are disposed to attribute 



it to a disease, or injury of the bark and outer vessels 

 of the body or large limbs, by the winter or other 

 cause, whereby the sap which rises in the alburnum 

 or sap wood: is unable to return through and between 

 the epidermis and wood; it consequently sours, de- 

 composes, and one day r s sun blackens the leaves, and 

 destroys the branch, and finally the whole stock, if 

 not cut off absolutely below the least discoloration. 



THE WHEAT CROP. 



From information received from different sections 

 we believe the present wheat crop of Western New 

 York will prove far superior to any preceding one 

 for several years. In this county, the crop is much 

 better than was anticipated before harvesting com- 

 menced, and many farmers think it the greatest ev- 

 er produced here. The berry appears unusually 

 bright and plump. We have heard some complaints 

 of the weevil in Seneca, Cayuga, and adjoining 

 counties, but learn from reliable sources that no ma- 

 terial damage has been caused. 



We have unfavorable reports of the crop in some 

 sections of the west and south-west. The Ohio Cul- 

 tivator of July 15, says: — "From all the information 

 we can gather, it appears quite certain that through- 

 out a large portion of Ohio the wheat harvest is 

 sadly deficient, owing to the damage by rust and the 

 wheat insect. A few only of the more northern 

 counties, we believe, have escaped these evils, and 

 are harvesting nearly a fair average crop; but taking 

 the state at large, we are of opinion that full one- 

 half the crop has been destroyed — which is equal to 

 twelve millimis of bushels! This is an immense loss 

 to our farmers; but we trust they will not be dis- 

 heartened, especially as the corn and other crops are 

 now quite promising. * * * It is too early, as yet, 

 to form an opinion in regard to the full extent of 

 the damage sustained by the wheat crop, or the ef- 

 fect it may have on prices. In the markets of this 

 region, flour has advanced full one dollar per barrel, 

 but this will not probably be sustained if the accounts 

 from New York and other large wheat-growing 

 States yet to be heard from, should prove favorable." 

 The Cincinnati Gazette of a later date, says, " the 

 deficiency in the wheat crop of Ohio this season, it 

 is now pretty satisfactorily ascertained, will be about 

 one-third, or from 7,000,000 to 8,000,000 bushels/' 



The Indiana State Journal of the 1 6th ult., thus 

 speaks of the crops in the southern portion of that 

 state: "The continued rain has almost entirely de- 

 stroyed the wheat crop in this region. Many farm- 

 ers have turned their hogs upon the fields — the wheat 

 being so much injured as to be unfit for cutting. It 

 is estimated that the crop will not be more than suf- 

 ficient to supply the demand for home consumption. 

 As a consequence, the price of wheat has raised to 

 eighty cents, and is still going up. Flour has gone 

 up to $5 50 per barrel, and is rising." 



The crop in Michigan is said to be good — and the 

 yield is probably above an average one. The news 

 from Central and Northern Illinois and Iowa, is fa- 

 vorable. 



We also have favorable reports from Pennsylva- 

 nia, Maryland and Virginia. The Richmond Whig 

 states that in all Virginia east of the mountains, the 

 wheat is generally harvested, and that though the 

 crop suffered first from April frosts, and subsequent- 

 ly from rust, yet " it will exceed an average one. " 



