302 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Herefords. On the other hand, in a cold and hilly 

 region the West Highlands and Galloways will be 

 preferable on account of their hardiness and their 

 capacity to thrive on scantier feed. Under such cir- 

 cumstances it will be best to merely raise the cattle 



HEADS OP AYRSHIRES. 



and sell them when they arrive at maturity to 

 those who can fat them in richer pastures and in a 

 milder climate. The rapidity with which they put 

 on fat under such circumstances is wonderful. 



On medium soils, the Devons have no superiors. 



For dairy purposes exclusively, the Ayrshires 

 and well-selected Natives are ordinarily the most 

 profitable. A Native with a dash of Shorthorn or 



HEADS OF ALDERNEYS. 



Devon blood, makes a very useful animal for the 

 dairy and the shambles combined. We have had 

 no experience in crossing the Native cows with 

 Ayrshire bulls for dairy purposes, but we should 

 think such a cross would produce excellent milkers. 

 After all, in a general point of view, one of the 

 great advantages of introducing thoroughbred ani- 

 mals into a district, is to improve the ordinary 

 stock of the neighborhood. This is a great point 

 to be borne in mind. And it must be admitted 

 that the Shorthorns have ordinarily no superiors 

 for this purpose. 



m i ■ 



W. F. Radcliffk, of Rushton Rectory, writes 

 to the Cottage Gardener that he has found blue 

 vitriol (sulphate of copper) a sure cure for white 

 mildew on roses, both for out-door plants and the 

 more delicate pot-plants. He says : " I may ob- 

 serve, by the wayside, that hot and close situations 

 are sure to produce white mildew in pot-plants." 



THE AGRICULTURE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. 

 IS IT RETROGRADING OR ADVANCING? 



The Census returns of our Agricultural Produc- 

 tions in the State of New York, for 1860, afford 

 some interesting results as compared with those of 

 1850. As they relate to the crop of only a single 

 year in either case, which may have been a partic- 

 ularly bad or good season, and therefore not a fair 

 standard for nice comparison, and as they are open 

 to errors in many other respects, — the details they 

 give us are not to be received with too great confi- 

 dence ; and yet they supply some information 

 which we could obtain in no other way. 



Farm Implements and Machinery during ten 

 years past, have been constantly employed to a 

 greater extent upon our Farms. While the surface 

 of "improved land" in the State has been increased 

 less than one-sixth, the value of the implements 

 employed in its cultivation, has advanced one-third, 

 or in fully a double ratio. This increase is from 

 twenty-two million dollars in 1850, to twenty-nine 

 in 1860 — an increase averaging $700,000 each year , 

 expended by the farmers of the State of New York 

 in new implements and machinery, beyond making 

 up for the wear and tear of old ones. In 1850 our 

 farmers had $177.97 worth of implements, &c, to 

 each 100 acres of improved land, against $202.87 

 in 1860. In the accuracy of these figures we have 

 no very great confidence, because there must be a 

 great deal that should properly be included under 

 this head, which the farmer does not stop to esti- 

 mate the value of, when he hands in his census 

 returns ; but as they are probably equally complete 

 at ooth dates, we may safely conclude that the 

 increase is not overstated. It may be added that 

 our associate, Mr. Thomas, (see Rural Affairs, vol. 

 2, p. 131,) estimates the value of implements, wag- 

 ons, &c, necessary for the proper management of a 

 hundred acre farm, all improved land, at $474.50, 

 and this does not include a mower or reaper. The 

 common estimate in England varies from £1 to £2 

 per acre, or from $5 to $10, and even considerably 

 more where steam machinery is employed. 



Wheat Culture. — The number of bushels of 

 Wheat raised in this State in 1860 was 8,861,099, 

 against 13,121,498 in 1850, and 9,092,402 in 1855. 

 The first return of the crops of the State was in 

 1840, when our wheat crop was 12,286,418 bushels. 

 We fail to see in these figures anything calculated 

 to awaken such fearful despondency as some wri- 

 ters have fallen into with regard to the " decline in 

 our Agriculture." They are all the figures we have ; 

 anything relative to larger aggregate crops in ear- 

 lier years, is simply an estimate with no basis of 

 truth to rest upon, and with nothing whatever to 

 prove that the average yield per acre was ever larger 

 than it is to-day. — — — By the above figures 

 we see that our wheat croj) was larger in 1850 than 

 in 1840, although the difference is perhaps no more 

 than enough to prove that we certainly were not 

 declining; for the ten years from 1850 to 1860 

 there is a large decrease, which mainly took place 

 during the first halt of the decade, at a time when 

 the great West was in the most rapid course of 

 development, and when at the same time the in- 

 sects were consuming our crop at a rate perhaps 

 unparalleled before or since. Under the circum- 

 stances the only matter of surprise is that our 



