THE GENESEE FARMER. 



237 



18 to ns a new fact. Theoretically^ it is nearly 

 equal to Peruvian guano as a manure — except that 

 it is slow to decompose. We should be disposed to 

 ose it, in Spite of the weeds. Could it not be com- 

 posted, and the weeds started and destroyed before 

 applying it to the soil ? 



These are curious looking geese! "The breed 

 originated in this way. A wild goose was caught, 

 and after some trouble mated with a tame gander. 

 They are said to be hardier and of better flavor 

 than the common goose." 



Corn is excellent, although much of it had to be 

 planted twice. If, as has been said, " the corn crop 

 is the test of good farming," the farmers of Wheat- 

 land must be accorded a high position. The rows 

 are very straight, the cultivator has been freely 

 nsed, the crop is luxuriant, and scarcely a weed is 

 to be seen. 



Here is a large field of white beana. Their cul- 

 tivation is not general, but is extending since the 

 failure of the wheat crop. "■! believe you think 

 the growth of beans serves to enrich the land ?" 

 When consumed on the farm, and the manure re- 

 turned to the land, they undouptedly do so ; but 

 this is seldom practiced. Beans contain nearly 

 three times as much nitrogen as wheat, and aftbrd 

 very rich manure. But if the crop is sold, the idea 

 that beans are an enriching crop may not be cor- 

 rect,— although, from the fact that the straw is rich 

 in nitrogen, it may be so. At all events, from be- 

 ing sown in drills they may be regarded somewhat 

 as a fallow crop, affording an opportunity to clean 

 the land. Beans in England are considered an en- 

 riching crop, but they are generally consumed on 

 the farm by horses and sheep. They are a diifer- 

 ent variety from the white bean, although the same 

 in chemical composition, and their growth has 

 probably the same effect on the soil. 

 t Here is a farmer that has planted out quite an 

 extensive orchard of dwarf pears. He has just 

 moiced ajine croj) of timothy from his orchard. 

 The trees look better than could be expected from 

 such treatment, but the owner will soon join the 

 ranks of those who so pertinaciously assert that 

 iwaif pears are a failure ! No one expects to grow 

 1 crop of corn and a crop of hay from the same 

 land, and any one who expects to grow dwarf 

 oears and hay together will- assuredly be disap- 

 )ointed. They need as good' cultivation as corn or 

 potatoes. 



^ "They will not succeed even with good cultiva- 

 ion," says a neighbor of the farmer alluded to. 

 'I have two trees in my garden that have received 

 he best of treatment, but they are of 7no account, 

 /ome and see them for yourself." 



" They have not the habit of healthy dwarf pear 

 rees. Are yon sure that they are on quince stocks ?" 



" I grafted them with these hands, and saw that 

 they were quince stocks with these eyes." 



"Sir, I believe it on that ground alone,— I could 

 not had I seen them with my own. But stay; 

 were they the common Orange quince ?" 



" Certainly." 



"That accounts for it. It is well known that 

 pears will not flourish grafted on the common 

 quince; The Angers and Fontenay are the only 

 varieties fit for the purpose, and none others are 

 used by the nurserymen. The wood of the com- 

 mon quince is of too firm a texture to be used for 

 this purpose. No wonder that your trees do not 

 succeed." 



We tn-ust our friend will plant out a few properly 

 worked dwarf pear trees this fall, and the next time 

 we have the pleasure of spending a day in ^Vheat- 

 land, he will no longer consider dwarf pears a 

 humbuof. 



SUGGESTED ITEMS. -No. 23. 



The finest of weather for haying and other farm 

 labors is oui-s about these days. Let us "thank 

 God, and take courage," though prices are de- 

 pressed and the midge as abundant as ever. 

 _ "^ Long Island Prize Farm'' seems situated just 

 right for the purposes to which it is devoted ; but 

 with such soil and facilities for manure, labor, and 

 market, who could not make money! One man 

 could not — the man without enterprise — the 

 slack-handed, make-do farmer. The " best chance 

 in the world" slips away from him; his labors are 

 ordered by chance, not by calculation. 

 _ "■Permanent Grass Land'" must get more atten- 

 tion from our farmers. We reiterate the assertion, 

 that we plow too much — and the true maxim is,^ 

 not to "cultivate one acre more," but to enrich 

 one acre more, so that it will yield the crop given 

 by two acres heretofore. GroV more grass, keep 

 more stock, plow less but more thorouglily. I ioin, 

 with "S. W." and "B. F." in caUing.for increased 

 attention to ^^ Grass Culture.'" 



^'Artificial Manure for Com^'' is- -well applied by 

 Mr. Taylor. We have often thought that some 

 method should be devised ior feeding corn and 

 other hoed crops, at the time when they become 

 hungry ; that it would be most economical in ma- 

 nure, and largely increase the growth of the crops. 

 Still, increased labor is required, and farmers are 

 slow to adopt methods requiring more work — they 

 thmk their hands are full now as need be. 



" The Advantages, of Molding Machines'" gets but 

 little further illustration from the articles given 

 this month. My opinion is that they don't pay for 

 the small farmer — but that the large farmer can 

 not afford to do without them — and that no man 

 who has thera can afford to neglect putting his land 

 in order for their use. 



" Churning Mill vs. Churning Cream'' is a new 

 question with most small dairymen; but for butter 

 makers, churning the milk will undoubtedlv prove 

 most profitable in warm weather. The liiiilk, as 

 Mr. Smith says, will get sour before the cream has 

 all risen, and in very warm weather it is impossibie- 



