180 



THE GENESEE FAR^rER. 



aflBrming his belief that he has discovered a certain, 

 sure remedy for tlie potato rot, and wants the $10,- 

 000 which was offered some years ago by Massa- 

 chusetts. Mr. L. asks " "VThat evidence do you 

 require of the fact that I can do what I say ?" — 

 Simply the evidence tbat will positively prove the 

 thing you call a fact true. 



JciiN G. Bergen — I believe that I can grow po- 

 tatoes free of disease, if I grow them upon land so 

 poor that it will not produce more than 20 or 40 

 bushels upon an acre. 



White Willotr. — Mr. Prince said this is the salix 

 alia, common all over this country. There are 

 two upright-gri)wing willows, the golden and green. 

 The latter is the salix alia. It is extensively 

 planted in Sweden and Norway along the public 

 roads, to cut for its wood. It is sometimes called 

 the swallow-tailed willow in Europe. It roots 

 deep and is very hardy, aud will grow upon dry or 

 wet land, and 1 believe where the tide sometimes 

 oversows the land. 



Mr. Bergen thought this must be a mistake, and 

 cautioned ^^eople against planting where the tide 

 overflows. The best way to propagate this or any 

 other willow is by cuttings instead of rooted plants. 

 You may set poles four inches in diameter three 

 feet in the earth, and they will make trees sooner 

 than trees with roots. They are not as much 

 affected by the wind when first set. 



A gentleman said that all tall-growing trees upon 

 a loose soil like that of an Illinois prairie are apt to 

 decay at the top early. He recommended apple 

 trees' of a flat-growing habit. A tall tree sends its 

 roots deep, and they reach the water aud decay, 

 and then the top follows suit. 



HEMP CTJLTUEE. 



A coHEESPOKDENT of the Coutitry Gentleman 

 writes : 



" There are several varieties of hemp grown in 

 this country. That known as the Chinese is now 

 the most largely cultivated. It was lirst introduced 

 to public notice seven or eight years ago, by Wm. 

 L. Nance, Esq., of Woodford county, Ky. A gentle- 

 man from France visiting Mr. Nanse, spoke of this 

 variety as remarkably productive, and on his re- 

 turn to Paris procured at the Jardin des Planter, a 

 spoonful of the seed, and sent it to his friend in 

 Kentucky, where it5 growth has been largely ex- 

 tended. It requires a third more time to mature 

 than the ordinary kinds. It is usually sown a 

 month or so earlier than the common hemp, and is 

 noi fit to harvest until some weeks after that kind 

 is in the stack. By growing the two kinds on the 

 same farm, the labor of the season is materially 

 equalized. The average yield per acre, in a good 

 season, is from 1.000 to 1.200 pounds. " 1 have 

 known 1,700 pounds to be produced per acre. The 

 fibre is extremely long, rather coarse, but very 

 strong. Beside the common variety that has been 

 long cultivated, another kind has been recently m- 

 trodnced, known as the Russian. Its yield per 

 acre is about equal to the connnon hemp, perl aps 

 a little les6, say in a good season from 600 to 800 

 pounds. The fibre of this kind is much finer than 

 either of the others referred to. It more nearly 

 approximates to flax in its fine, soft and glossy 

 tttzture, and is well adapted to manufacture into 



fine fabrics, as well as into cordate. &c. The labor 

 of preparing the ground .and .«owing the seed is 

 about the same as should be given to an acre of 

 wheat. The regular task of cutting is half an acre 

 to the hand per day ; yet good hands easily cut 

 three-quarters of an acre and more. MoCokmiok's 

 hemp-reaper, with a team of horses, will cut eight 

 acres per day, requiring a driver, one hand on the 

 platform and four hands to remove the cut hemp 

 out of the way of the machine. The task for 

 dressing is 100 pound's per hand per day, but as 

 they are paid for over-work they frequently dress 

 150, and sometimes 300 lbs. and upward a day. The 

 various processes of binding, stacking, and again 

 spreading it for dew-rotting, raking it up after 

 rotting, aud shocking it ready for the break is 

 about the labor of three days for a single hand. — 

 The average price for dew -rotted hemp in Ken- 

 tucky in 1860 was $130 per ton. In 1861 it fell to 

 $75. In 1862, at the close of the season, the price 

 advanced to $140 per ton. For water-rotted hemp 

 the price is considerably greater, governed in some 

 degree by the ruling prices of the impf.irted hemp. 

 The process of water rotting, after the hemp is 

 removed from the stack, is considerably greater 

 than to simply handle it in the jiroeess of dew-rot- 

 ting, but the price obtained is greater in proportion.'* 



NOTES ON BACK NUMBERS. 



PEA BEANS, P. 116. 



In the second paragraph it reads "and by most 

 people considered very projitahle,''' which should 

 read ^'very palataMey Had not so many sent for 

 "a few to try," it would not seem worth while to 

 notice the error ; but fearing that they might be 

 disappointed in not finding them " very profitable" 

 it had better be corrected. It is expected that those 

 trying these beans will report their success through 

 the Genesee Farmer in season for others to try 

 them or not next year, as they shall prove well or 

 poor in the localities corresponding to their own, 

 and also to leave time to compare notes upon the 

 mode of cultivation and adopt suggested hints. 



LlOE ON CATTLE, P. 164. 



Your querist, Mr. Wilson, can surely Mil any 

 kind of lice upon his cow with lamp-oil, hog's 

 lard or any kind of soft grease; but do not use 

 kerosene oil, unless it is wished to take the hair off 

 as well as the lice. Unguintum, if it is a good ar- 

 ticle, will surely kill the lice and the cow if not 

 judiciously applied. Do not rub it upon the ani- 

 mals where tliey can reach to lap it off, else it will 

 salivate them if freely applied. Do not let them 

 be exposed to the wet nor out-door ouKl for some 

 ten days after it has been applied, unless you want 

 to see them swell all over and become too stiff in 

 their limbs for locomotion. 



I have not used unguintum for years, because 

 oil, and even other remedies, are safer and equally 

 effective ; but were I to use it, I should shave the 

 hair off upon the head just back of the horns, 

 about the size of a cent, and then prepare the place 

 as though it was for vaccination, and then faith- 

 fully rub a i)iece about the size of a medium sized 

 bean upon this spot, and no where else upon the 

 animal or animals, as t!ie oese might be, varying 

 the amount according to the size and age of the 

 1 patients. 0. W. Tbux. 



