138 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



This is true, and if fanners will waste their 

 money in purchasing such worthless stuff, we can 

 not help it. We have for years done all that we 

 could to put them on their guard. 



It will he seen even that Peruvian guano differs 

 greatly in composition and value. One sample an- 

 alyzed was worth $62.80 per ton, while another, 

 selling at the same price, was worth only $37.60. 

 The large dealers in England have the cargoes an- 

 alyzed before purchasing, and this the only way 

 of securing a good article. 



The consumption of artificial fertilizers in this 

 country is destined to be very large, and the agri- 

 cultural press should fearlessly expose all attempts 

 at imposition. Let it be distinctly understood that 

 a good chemical analysis will show the real value 

 of a manure with infallible accuracy, and let such 

 men as Prof. S. W. Johnson and Dr. Evan Puon be 

 encouraged to examine every commercial manure 

 found in the market, and we shall soon be rid of 

 the imposters who rob the farmers of their hard 

 earnings. The honest and intelligent manufactur- 

 ers and dealers should themselves use their influ- 

 ence in this direction. Let them have their man- 

 ures analyzed, and then give a guarantee that such 

 represents their real composition, and if such 

 should not prove to be the case, they might be sued 

 for damages. 



A short time ago, a manufacturer of a new fer- 

 tilizer in New York asked us to advertise and re- 

 commend his article. He had a number of testi- 

 monials from those who had used it, and was him- 

 self eloquent in its praise. " That is all very well," 

 we remarked, " but all know how easy it is to get 

 testimonials. Send a fair sample to Prof. S. W. 

 Johnson, of Yale College, and if he finds 10 per 

 cent, of ammonia in it, we will give you a good 

 puff without charge." If the agricultural press 

 will adopt a similar rule, manure dealers will soon 

 understand that they can not impose upon farmers 

 with impunity. 



THE WHEAT CROP IN ENGLAND. 



The Marie Lane Express issued a circular, ad- 

 dressed to reliable parties in different parts of Eng- 

 land, asking, '• Is there a good breadth of wlieat 

 sown in your neighborhood?" and "Has it been 

 put into the ground in good condition?" 



Two hundred and ninety-nine answers were re- 

 ceived, from which it would appear that an un- 

 usual breadth of laud has been sown to wheat, and 

 that the plants on the whole look exceedingly well. 

 The editor of the Express remarks: 



Referring again to the tables, it will be seen that 



the breadth of land now under wheat is unusuallj 

 large. This may be ascribed in a. great measure to 

 the small quantity that was sown during the pre- 

 vious year, from the unfit state of the land. Not 

 only has a very large breadth been sown, but th« 

 seed has been put in under the most favorable cir- 

 cumstances. If, to some extent, rather too late (as 

 a rule), yet the mildness of the winter has favored 

 it, and the plant generally is strong, healthy, and 

 without breaks in the rows. It would be needless 

 to give any condensed table of this schedule, as, 

 with the exception of about four or five cases, tin 

 whole of the returns agree in their accounts, botl 

 as to the largeness of the breadth and the wonder- 

 fully fine appearance of the plant. If no disastei 

 intervene between now and harvest, there is tin 

 prospect of this important product yielding th< 

 largest amount of produce that ever was known.' 



CUTTING POTATOES-EARLY AND LATE CROPS. 



We have in previous volumes of the Genese 

 Farmer alluded to the fact that the rose end of th« 

 potato will start sooner and produce an earlie 

 crop than the middle or heel of the potato. 



The reason assigned for this by Dr. Lindley, wa 

 that the rose end was better matured. We though 

 that this could not be tli 

 true reason, from the fai 

 that the rose end was ■ 

 latest formed portion of tl 

 potato and could, therefor 

 hardly be supposed to bei 

 well matured as the he 

 end, which was older. "Vi 

 thought the true explan 

 tion was, that before a se< 

 2. Centre could germinate it must \ 

 decomposed. u Tbatwhi< 

 thou sowest is not quickened except it die." Ai 

 the rose end being less matured — the elements \>* 

 ing in a cruder form and less organized — the sei 

 would decay sooner and the plants would sta: 

 earlier. 



Since these views were expressed — and which] 

 true, are of much practical and scientific impo 

 tauce — we have met with the following fact whi< 

 seems to confirm them. Dr. Fkombehg has an 

 lyzed the different parts of four varieties of pot 

 toes, and in each case he found that the rose ei 

 contained more inorganic matter and water tlu 

 the heel end — in other words, it was less organize 

 Prof. Wilson, in his recent work on ''Our Far 

 Crops," in commenting on these results, says tin 

 " help to strengthen the claims which science h; 

 upon all engaged in farming pursuits, by givir 

 them a solution of many apparently mysterioi 

 circumstances connected with their daily avoo; 



Rose End. 



8. Heel End. 



