THE GENEirEE FARMER 



25 



ing States to engage in it more actively, or to he- 

 come the theater of operations, the case would be 

 otherwise. Western production would, as a matter 

 of course, he curtailed, and the "large unforwarded 

 balance of this year's crop perhaps be kept back by 

 prohibition, or by a price which w,ould leave no 

 profit on its being sent to Europe. 



NOTES FROM CANADA "WEST. 



Eds. Genesee Farmer : The cultivation of root 

 crops has become an interesting, and of late an 

 exciting branch of farm labor in our progressive 

 township. At the annual meeting of our Town- 

 ship Agricultural Society, held in January, 1860, 

 the system of giving prizes for the best acre of 

 turnips and the best half acre of carrots, to he ad- 

 judged in the field, was adopted, and a special sub- 

 scription taken up for that purpose. The compe- 

 tition, a year ago, was large, and the results quite 

 satisfactory, proving that it is the only correct 

 system, and one from which good would result. 

 This year it was repeated, with increased interest 

 and keener competition. The following is the 

 table of prizes: 



No. of v , Weight, lbs.. 



Prize. vame - per sq. rod. 



Acre of Swedish Turnips: 



Win. Donaldson, 1 $10 398 



T. Plasket 2 6 896 



J Lockhart 3 4 \ 3ST 



Half acre Carrots: 



J. Jackson 1 10 312 



J. Thwaites, 2 6 273 



W. Walton.. 3 4 253 



Three judges, strangers in the township, are 

 chosen, whose duty it is to select what they con- 

 sider an average rod of the whole acre. The plot 

 is then carefully measured, the roots pulled, topped, 

 and weighed. 



It will be seen, by the above table, that upward 

 of 1.000 bushels, or 31 tons, of turnips were 

 raised on an acre, and that not merely on one acre, 

 but whole fields, every acre of which would equal 

 the one chosen. One competitor in carrots whose 

 plot lacked 9 rods of being the required amount 

 — half an acre — raised at the rate of 27 tons per 

 acre, hut lost the prize for the above reason. This 

 must be admitted to be a profitable crop, even to 

 value them at 12^ cents per bushel, and they are 

 worth more. It would do some of your farmers 

 good to pass with us through the township, and 

 see the immense quantities of roots grown. They 

 would find out that we grow them for something 

 more than " an auxiliary crop, to be used only in 

 mild weather," and they would discover, also, that 

 though the summers are too dry and hot in York 

 State for their perfect maturity, it is not so here. 



The benefits arising from the extensive culture 

 of roots are manifest, not only in the sleek and 

 healthy appearance of horses and cattle, the win- 

 tering of sheep and pigs, but in the manufacture 

 of a better quality of manure than formerly, and 

 consequently a more generous return to the soil, 

 resulting in heavier crops, especially of spring 

 wheat, which generally follows roots, seeded with 

 grass. Meadows are much cleaner, and, best of 

 all, it introduces a system of rotation of crops, and 

 supersedes the necessity for naked summer fallows. 



"With the facilities that European farmers have, 

 such as thorough underdrainage, subsoiling, liquid 

 manure drills, artificial manures, plenty of help, 



etc., we certainly could equal, if not surpass them, 

 in nearly all kinds of roots. 



With a continuation of the progress made dur- 

 ing the last two years, it is possible that the win- 

 ner of the first prize in this township will raise 

 •iO tons per acre within a very few years, even 

 with our limited facilities. 



The Weather akd the Crops. — The weather 

 has been exceedingly wet all the fall, and I may 

 say all the year, except a part of June and July. 

 It has been remarkably free from frost. We are 

 now busily engaged plowing for spring crops. 



Wheat lias not turned out as well as was ex- 

 pected. A great deal has been shipped at less 

 than So cents per bushel, and there is no prospect 

 of its being higher. Pork and beef will be low. 



Barberry foe Hedges. — I am convinced that 

 the barberry will make an excellent hedge plant 

 for this climate, both for durability and efficiency. 

 Will some of the experienced readers of the Gene- 

 see Firmer tell me how to prepare and sow the 

 seed? r. w. s. 



Woedstodc, C. W. 



REDUCING AND APPLYING BONES. 



James S. Grenkell, of Greenfield, Mass., has 

 sent to the office of the Country Gentleman a 

 sample of bones, which had been softened and ren- 

 dered fit for immediate application in the following 

 simple way. Mr. G says: 



I set an old cask with one head in some conve- 

 nient spot back of the house, in the spring, and of 

 the bones which have accumulated during the win- 

 ter I throw in enough to cover the bottom . then 

 enough of unleached ashes thoroughly to cover 

 them ; then another layer of bones, then ashes, 

 and so in alternate layers until the cask is full. On 

 top is placed a sufficient covering /of ashes, loam, 

 or charcoal dust, to prevent the escape of any gas. 

 I usually wet down the ashes as I proceed, and 

 leave the cask exposed to the weather, that they 

 may be kept damp. By the next spring, when I 

 wish to use them, the bones are thoroughly di- 

 gested and in a fit condition to use. 



In regard to this application and effect, Mr. G. 

 says : 



I usually take the mixed bones and ashes, and 

 compost with well rotted manure, a liberal sprink- 

 ling of plaster, a little guano and salt, and a load 

 of sweepings from the blacksmith shop, of iron 

 scales, charcoal dust, horse-hoof parings and the 

 manure made there. This I apply to trees, espe- 

 cially pears. 



The growth caused by this is astonishing; as 

 you perceive, this compost contains all the require- 

 ments, both for growth and fruit, better than any 

 purchased superphosphate, for it has the potash so 

 essential to the pear, and the iron, which is very 

 important. I also prepared my grape border with 

 this. 



I not ODly used the bones saved from our own 

 family, but buy a good many, paying Irish and 

 German boys for collecting about half a cent per 

 pound, which is the market price obtained by the 

 cutlery works for their refuse bones. 



I have great faith in the efficacy of both ashes 

 and bones, and I think this combination of them 

 is both cheap and useful. 



