THE GENESEE FARMER. 



83 



of a hurry, and are liable to many blunders and mis- 

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 convenient form, the subject matter more condensed, 

 contain more grain and less chatF, are more thor- 

 oughly read and better understood, contain more 

 useful matter for futui-e reference, seldom condemn- 

 ed to the rubbish heap, but are laid up in the library 

 and read perhaps by the next generation. They take 

 the place among newspapers, of standard works 

 among books. If you want more reading matter on 

 the same subject you can take more papers ; there 

 are many (but not too many) in the country, and 

 you can get two, three, and often four monthlies for 

 tlie price of one weekly, and you then have the 

 opinions of different authors on the same subject, 

 w^hich if there be truth in. the old adage that "two 

 heads are better than one" is a decided advantage. 



Gorham, Oni. Co., N'. Y., Jan^y, 135S. 



Muck is a valuable fertilizer and should not be al- 

 lowed to remain unused as it is in many cases when 

 the adjoining fields might be so much benefitted by 

 its use. E- B. 



Pharsalia, iV. T., Jan^y, 1858. 



MUCK APPLIED UNMIXED3T0 THE SOU. 



Having quite a bed of muck in my possession and 

 knowing its value as a fertilizer when rightly appli- 

 ed, I have taken some pains to ascertain the best 

 method of using it so as to obtain the greatest 

 benefit. 



I have used it with manure and other refuse of 

 the fann, but my greatest use has been in applying 

 it unmixed to the soil. Winter or a dry time in 

 summer is the proper time to remove the muck from 

 the swamp. It should be piled in large heaps when 

 removed to protect from sun and rain. In autumn 

 draw and spread the muck upon the land that is 

 soon to be plowed, for the muck should not remain 

 spread upon the surface any length of time as it 

 proves an injury to it by allowing the gasses to escape. 

 If the muck is removed from the swamp in winter, 

 it would be best to apply in the spring to land be- 

 fore plowing. Spread on green sward and turned 

 under it makes an excellent face fur corn with two 

 harrowings, but should not be cross-plowed. Spread 

 on in the spring on old ground and well plowed un- 

 der, it is quite equal to stable dung for potatoes ; or 

 at least I could perceive no difierence on ground pre- 

 pared alike — half manured with stable dung and 

 half with swamp muck. It leaves the ground in ex- 

 cellent order for seeding, being free from weeds. It 

 is not quite equal to stable dung for top-dressing 

 meadows, or at least I have not found it so. 



Almost every farmer knows the value of muck 

 apj)lied to the manure heap as an absorbent, but few 

 make a practice of using it alone. I consider it as 

 cheaper applied unmixed and nearly as good ; but 

 com and potatoes appear to be benefitted moi^ by 

 it than any crop on which I have applied it. It 

 gives good satisfaction applied to the garden ; but I 

 have always applied stable dung well rotted the 

 same season, so I am unable to speak definitely in 

 regard to tlie muck. 



Where I have used it unmixed with manure and 

 no manure was applied to the land, I consider the 

 grass-crop as good as other pieces in the same field 

 that were manured with stable-dung — the treatment 

 in both cases being the same. 



ADVANTAGES OF PREPARING FIEE-WOOD IN THE 

 TALL FOE WmTER'JUSE. 



Economy should be the motto of every farmer; and 

 in no way can more be saved on one thing than in 

 preparing the winter's wood in the fall. It saves 

 at least one-third of the wood which would be worse 

 than uselessly expended in burning the large amount 

 of water contained in the green wood. Another 

 advantage is in the season. It is so much better 

 and pleasanter in the fall — more convenient getting 

 around in the woods — more comfortable to the 

 choppers who can work and not suffer from cold. 



After fall work is done, chop, draw and pile your 

 wood in your wood-house, and when the cold snowy 

 days of winter come, there it is dry and nice ready 

 for use; and besides enjoying the cheerful looks and 

 kind words of your wife and children, the comfort- 

 able warmth produced by the sparkling fire and the 

 jdeasing thought that your care and forethought in 

 pro\iding dry wood has robbed old winter of half 

 his terrors, and given you leisure to improve your 

 mind and amuse yourself and family through the 

 dreary, stormy days of winter, will more than repay 

 any extra trouble in preparing the wood. 



Who will doubt the utility of the fall preparation 

 when they think the matter over carefully — the cold 

 stormy days of winter come ; the neghgent farmer 

 has been engaged on some delayed business until 

 winter is upon him; he has drawn an occasional 

 draft of wood and chopped it at the door to meet 

 immediate w^ants, but he sees now there must be a 

 supply secured ; and when the snow blows and the 

 piercing cold chills liis blood he must away to the 

 wood-pile to keep himself in wood, and when he re- 

 turns to the house he finds it cold and cheerless, 

 his wife cold and cross, the green wood steaming 

 and frying in the stove with no warmth for the 

 shivering family. 



Can the man who neglects to prepare his winter's 

 wood before it is wanted for use exi)ect to enjoy 

 domestic quiet and comfort — for what wUl disturb 

 the peace of a family quicker and more eftectually 

 than a poor fire? it freezes the pleasant smile and 

 loving nature of the wife and renders her cross and 

 fretful; and who can blame her? Everything goes 

 wrong; nothing can be done in season, and with no 

 comfort when it is done. In fact I am of the opin- 

 ion that the neglect of preparing wood in the fall is 

 the cause of more domestic unhappiness than any 

 tthr e thiar. 



I do not write this without having experienced 

 its eff cts. I have tried the green W( od experiment 

 to my satisfaction— suffered its disadvantages and 

 losses, but nothing but absolute necessity shall ever 

 compel me to do it again; it is so much more eco- 

 nomical in the amount of wood used, so much better 

 and pleasanter chopping, drawing and piling; so 

 much better for family use; prevents so much hard 

 w^ork in cold weather when the farmer neetis rest 

 and time for the improvement of his mind. 



The leisure which the fall preparation of wood 

 allows to the firmer is a great advantage. His 

 physical strength is worn and exhausted by the hard 



