THE GENESEE FARMER. 



289 



ras on the Weather from July 15th to August 

 1862. — The temperature is the great moviug power; 

 uch or too little heat, ruinous. With higher heat 

 evaporation or moisture in the atmosphere, and 

 vapor to fall in rain. For July the temperature 

 t the mean for 25 years, 70.5 C> ; the first half rather 

 i the mean, and the last half a little below, or 69.8°. 

 e last half the highest heat was only 83° on the 

 and the lowest at 7 a. m. was 61° on the 26th. 

 teat harvest was later than usual. Most wheat was 

 ,st year in the third week of July, but the rains in 

 ,st ten days prevented the cutting of wheat till the 

 that splendid day for harvesting, on which a great 

 nt was cut. 



3 rain of the month measured 4.13 inches, more than 

 ■fourths of it in the last half. Vegetation was rapid, 

 der showers, rare before, occurred after the 19th. 

 Maryland and Southern Illiuois the wheat was har- 

 i about the middle of the month, and in the quite 

 j of that State had begun early in the month, in Lat. 

 ». Good health prevailed, although there had been 

 tie lightning for two months. 



gust began with pleasant weather, and has given us 

 d share of it to the middle of the month. The har- 

 lg of wheat, begun on the last day of July, chiefly, 

 this section, was rapid, and in a fortnight the crop, 

 l fine crop, was secured. The farmers /elt greatly 

 >ered; no blight, no rust, no midge maggots devour- 

 he young wheat in the heads, but its fields fully ripe, 

 of it standing erect, and the machines operating 

 mighty power. It was a time of gladness and con- 

 ilation. 



e rain in the fortnight was 1.31 inch, rather moderate, 

 mough, as so much fell in the preceding half month, 

 ider showers became more frequent, and some parts 

 ed to have a surplus of electricity. 

 ie average heat of the first half of August is 72.9°, or 

 above that for 25 years. The highest, 90° on the 4th 

 the lowest, 60° on the 14th. The 8th and 9th were 

 lays, and much 'hotter at the south, and the heat 

 jr continued. • 



e growth of potatoes, Indian corn, Ac, rapid, and 

 iuture promising. Apricots, apples, early pears, are 

 ie market ; green sweet corn plenty, tomatoes, Ac. 

 voice of plenty is heard on every side. 



jbrican Milking Machine in England. — An English 

 leman writes us, asking if the American Milking Ma- 

 e shown at the Great International Exhibition is as 

 able as it is represented. A few years siuce we saw 

 machine, and were not very favorably impressed with 

 iractical utility. It seems to have created quite a 

 re in England, and we understand the patent right 

 been sold for a large sum. 



" What Variety of Wheat Shall I Sow ?"— This is a 

 question very generally asked at this season. Many new 

 varieties have been tried in this section, but farmers are 

 falling back to the old kinds. When the land is in a high 

 state of cultivation, and early, the Soules (white) is the 

 favorite ; and where Soules is not likely to succeed, the 

 Mediterranean is sown. The latter is early, and generally 

 escapes the midge. It has, too, greatly improved in qual- 

 ity, though still much inferior to the Soules. The "Lam- 

 bert Weevil-Proof" is in quality about midway between 

 the Mediterranean and the Soules. Some like it very 

 much, while others have abandoned it. It has rather a 

 weak straw [and is apt to fall down. The Dayton has 

 been quite popular in some sections, but this also has 

 been given up by some who have tried it. As yet, we 

 know of nothing better than the Soules— nothing earlier 

 than the Mediterranean. We would, however, advise 

 farmers to sow an acre or so of the new kinds and give 



them a fair trial. 



»» > 



Free Farms in Iowa. — The Iowa papers are calling the 

 attention of persons wishing to avail themselves of the 

 Free Homestead law, to the government land in that State. 

 The Sioux City Register says, in that district alone there 

 are 4,000,000 acres of Government land, as choice as any 

 in the State. It is in the neighborhood of a railroad. 

 The Fort Dodge Republican says there are 50,000 acres of 

 what are termed Railroad Lands, in that district They 

 are owned by the Government and are held at $2.50 per 

 acre. Under the Homestead law, a pre-emptor can locate 

 80 acres of this land, which is equivalent to 160 acres of 

 ordinary Government land. A correspondent of the 

 Homestead says there are 40,000 acres in Humboldt county 

 subject to pre-emption after the first of next January. 

 We think those designing to avail themselves of the 

 Homestead law would do well to visit Iowa. It is des- 

 tined to be one of the first agricultural States in the 



West 



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Training Currants. — The Maine Farmer says : " Cur- 

 rant bushes can be trained and made to grow in any 

 desired form, either as a bush, tree, or upoa a trellis. If 

 trained as a bush, only three, or at most, four, shoots 

 should start from the ground at once. [Better train them 

 on a single stem.] After bearing two years, allow one or 

 two strong shoots to start from the bottom, to take the 

 place of one or two of the old ones, which should be eut 

 away. One shoot may be allowed afterward to grow every 

 year, to replace an old one; and thus the plant will be 

 entirely renewed every three or four years." 



Good Apple Trees.— The Maine Farmer say3 : " LoDg 

 experience has shown that an apple tree that stands near 

 an old wood-pile always grows thriftily and bears an 

 abundance of apples, as the fine, slowly-decaying chip- 

 dirt forms an excellent manure for apple and other fruit 



trees." 



»♦■« 



The Sorghum Business. — Our western exchanges are 

 filled with glowing accounts of the sorghum business. It 

 is thought that enough sugar and molasses will be pro- 

 duced in several of the Western States for home con] 

 sumption. 



