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VOLUME 1. 



ROCHESTER, MAY 7, 1831. 



NUMBER 18. 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



AND GARDENF.b's JOURNAL. 



Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, Domestic Econo 



my, &c. &e 



N. GOODSi.LL, EDITOR. 



Published on Saturdays, at $2 50 per annum, 



■payable in six months, or at j$2 00, it paid at the 



time of subscribing, by Luthf.r Tucker, al 



the office of the Rochester Daily Advertiser 



c oiwinnmic av ioks. 



FOR THF. GENESEE FARMER. 



SVBRfiREESS. 

 The tall Box (Buxus sempsroirens) is a bean 

 liful shrub, but I have some doubts whether it 

 will abide our severest winters. The dwarf 

 box is ocly a variety Box edging should be 

 trimmed very low (say two or three inche") ; 

 aud in this state our snows will, generally pro- 

 tect it from the coldest winds. The upper 

 branches of mine in several seasons have Dee 

 Itilled. I have not found the common mode of 

 propagating the Box, near the sea coasts, to 

 succeed well in this climate; but some of the 

 difficulty perhaps may be ascribed to our hea- 

 vy loam Some hundieds of cuttings planted 

 on the north side of aboard, have rooted free- 

 ly — the shade protecting the plants and preser 

 ving the moisture. 



The plants of Pontus ought to bear our so 

 verest winters, but the capacity to resist low 

 temperatures may be gradually lost in green- 

 houses, or in warmer climates. Rhododendron 

 ponticum though transplanted in the spring, 

 was killed nearly to the ground in the succeed- 

 ing winter. It lias since partially recovered; 

 and with a slight protection of leaves it has 

 withstood the cold of two succeeding seasons. 

 The furze, gorze, or whins (Ulex europeus 

 st nanuf) are natives of Britain, but are killed 

 in severe winters even in thai country. My 

 plants may become hardier with age, but a"i 

 present they require the best protection of a 

 covered border. These shrubs have deep 

 green shoots and leaves, an I brilliant yellow 

 flowers. 



Ituscus oculeatus is also a native of Britain ; 

 its heiaht about one foot ; leaves pointed, dark 

 op-ike green as if painted. Its green flowc 

 come oulfrom the sides of the leaves, and not 

 from the stalks. It stands well in a covered 

 border. 



The evergreen privet (Lcgvstrum italicum) 

 13 a poor thing in this climate, only a few leaves 

 near the ground sheltered by the snow, con-, 

 tinning green through the winter. 



Crattcguspyracaniha from the south of En- 

 rope preserves its verdure beneath the snow, 

 hut not above it. The breath of our winters 

 Jestroy every trace of vitality in the leaves. — 

 Near the city of Washington, however, they 

 only change to a purple, and revive on the ap 

 proach of spring. Its large clusters of while 

 flowers in summer, and of bright ,-carlet berries 

 in autumn, render it ornamental. 



Andromeda polifolia, indigenous to many of 

 our marshes, is a very delicate little shrub, 

 which retains its leaves, and well merits cul 

 tivation. It may be taken from its bed of wet 

 bog moss and successfully planted in common 

 garden soil. It will bear the summer sun. The 

 leaves are an inch or more in length, linear and 

 revolute, which with the young branches at 

 this season, are of a pleasing pink color. 



A gold dust tree (ji'vbu japonica) has stood 

 in a covered border, uninjured through two 

 winters. Whether it would bear exposure in 

 the open ground, is not certain. In severe 

 weather, it has a most disconsolate aspect, but 

 soon revives in warm sunshine. It requires 

 shade iu summer. 



The branches of thu English Ivy (Hcdera 

 helix) have been killed whenever they have 

 been trained on wood above the common depth 



of the snow. On the ground, however, it 

 abides our winters ; and perhaps might do so, 

 on til! south side of a stone wall. 



The American Holly (Hex opaca) is consid- 

 ered nardiei than the English species (/. aqui- 

 folium) which it greatly resembles. It requires 

 shelter while it is young. 



Prinos glaber, a native of New Jersey", is a 

 pleasing evergreen. Its leaves are fresh and 

 lively beneath the sod, where it has lain from 

 the beginning of winter. One shrub of this kind 

 was laid down, after being transplanted in ati 

 tumn, and perished. 



Ledum latifolivm is a beautiful shrub in its 

 native hemlock swamps : but I almost despair 

 of preserving its beauty in an open garden. — 

 It has been found near lheEighteen mile creek 

 on th" -outh side of the Ridge Road in Niagara 

 ounty. 



The English Yew (Taxus bnceata) is beauti- 

 ful, but rather difficult. to transplant successful 

 ly. It requites shade till its roots are well es- 

 lablished._ In four attempts it has not grown, 

 hut the fifth is about to be made. 



The American Yew (Taxvs canadensis) 

 grows in many parts of the Genesee Country, 

 under the thick shade of hemlocks, more es- 

 pecially on steep banks along brooks and 

 creeks. Many persons pass it unnoticed con- 

 undihg it with the hemlock, which in the 

 eaf it resembles; but the yew is a low shrub, 

 not erect, hu' ascending. It grows freely, 

 when transplanted oo the north side of n Imurd 

 fence. Some of these plants are very beauti' 

 ful in fruit; but the cold winds, and the hot 

 sun, greatly discolour their most exposed 

 leaves. fj T 



3 mo. 22. 



will be so struck with their superior beauty of 

 'appearance, that he will not think of merely 

 k-eping the common kind, for pleasure. Still 

 the white rabbits of this country, are the ones 

 I should recommend for profit or food. 



Those who have never had an opportunity 

 of seeing Fancy Rabbits, will probably be sur- 

 prised to learn the varieties which exist ; and 

 as I propose to give a short account of them. I 

 will begin with a notice of the 



FOR THE GENESEE FARMER. 



SWEET POTATO. 



My friend Dr. McChesney, proposes to takp 

 a little of the potato with the plant, in trans- 

 planting. I tried this, last year, on one row. 

 and planted the others without any. There 

 was no difficulty in the crop. It was a careful 

 and fair experiment. 



Qj° If plastcr.or gypsum be used, which may 

 be, to advantage, use the white. The dark 

 colored, here, does more harm than good. 



EF Two years' experience satisfies me that 

 the white sweet potato is preferable, for this 

 elimat'- and my soil, a light gravelly mould, to 

 the other two colors. The crop, here, is dou- 

 ble in quantity, and the potato no way inferior 

 in quality. H.'G. S. 



FOR THE GENESEE FARMER. 



SMALL, AI»IMAL,S. 



[Continued from page 50.] 

 In my last communication, I made some se 

 lections and remarks in regard to the rearinc 

 of silkworms. I will now occupv a column of 

 your paper on the rearing of 



RABBITS. 



Rabbit keeping was never so much practi 

 ced in Europe, as it is at the present day.— 

 Not only do multitudes of young people keep 

 common rabbits fur their amusement, and oth- 

 ers for the table, but many gentlemen have be- 

 come rabbit breeders, to a considerable ex- 

 tent. The most extensive establishments, 

 however, are devoted to the rearing of the 

 white rabbits only, on account of the srjperior 

 value of their skins. 



Fancy rabbits are rarely to be met with in 

 this country ; and even in England, good ones 

 re valued so high, that common dealers rarelv 

 ave the means to purchase them. A rabbit, 

 of whatever color, is certainly a beautiful lit- 

 tle animal, but the common breed are far infe- 

 rior ir. beauty of appearance, to the fine lopped 

 eared and long dew-laped animals, reared a- 

 roong the Fanciers. I am convinced that any 

 person who sees a well ordered rabbitry. con- 

 taining some good specimens of fancy rabbits, 



W1LI> RABBIT. 



Wild rabbits are considerably less than those 

 hich are kept in a domestic state. They are 

 for the most part of a grey colour ; but a few 

 black, black and white," and even fawn colored 

 rabbits are to be seen in some warrens. The 

 flesh of the wild rabbit is in general preferred 

 to that of tame ones, but the latter may be 

 much improved in flavor by judicious feeding, 

 and affording the animals good air, and sulh- 

 cientroom 10 exerci-e. 



It is said that the rabbit will breed eleven 

 times a year, and bring forth generally ei»ht 

 young ones each tune ; at this rate, in font 

 years a couple of rabbits would produce al- 

 most a million and a half. 



Notwithstanding 'he fecundity of the ani- 

 nvil in us wild state, it is much more profita- 

 ble when domesticated; for although a pru- 

 dent fancier will not suffer his doe to have 

 young more than five or six times in a year, 

 the produce of the tame animal, on account of 

 the care taken of them, will be greater at the 

 end of the year than that of the wild one ; for 

 multitudes of the wild ones are destroyed by 

 damp, the old buck, and by animals of prey. 



THE COMMON DOMESTIC RALB1T, 



is of various colors, white, grey, fawn, mouse 

 &c. &c. Then price vary according to 

 their age, size, and beauty. In this vilfa^e 

 (Rochester) a pair ef half grown whites can 

 be had for 50 cents. The chief objects in 

 keeping tl'.e common rabbits are for the pur- 

 pose of occasionally furnishing a dish for the 

 table and for their shins. For the firmer 

 hose who keep them, attend particulars to 

 the sorts whose flesh is said to be the best ; 

 and when their skins is the object they look 

 principally to the colour. The large hare-co- 

 loured variety is much esteemed by some peo- 

 ple, but the|white or white mottled with black 

 or yellow, are more delicate in flesh. The 

 grey and some of the black npproach nearer 

 the flavor of the wild rabbit than any others. 



LOF-EARF.D OR FANCY RABBITS. 



Formerly ,a fine rabbit of any two colors, how- 

 ever short its ears, was accounted a fancy ani- 

 mals; it is now very different. In the eye of 

 a fancier, the lopped ear is an indispensable 

 requisite. The first things which are looked 

 at, are the length and fall of the e.iis; the 

 dew lap, if the animal is in its prime, is next 

 noticed ; the colors and marks aie then inspec- 

 ted ; and las'ly, the shape and general appear- 

 ance. Rabbits, whoso ears do not extend to 

 fourteen inches from tip to tip.measnred across 

 the skull, would he reluctantly admitted into 

 a fanicier's stock, if they fell ever so finely ,- nor 

 in case they exceeded that length, if they did 

 not lop or fall downward in a graceful Planner. 



The dew-lap, which is oniy seen in fancv 

 rabbits, some time after they have attained 

 their full giowth, adds materially to the beautv 

 of their appearance. It commences immedi- 

 ately under the jaw, goes down the throat and 

 between the fore legs ; it is so broad that when 

 the head reposes upon it, it projects beneath 

 the chin, and on each side beyond the jaws; 

 when the fur in it is of a beautiful color it pro- 

 duces a fine effect. 



There are several grades between the up- 

 eared rnbbit, and the true aid perfect fancy 

 l<>p. The fir»t remove from the common car- 

 riage of the ears is where they fall back- 

 ward ungracefully over the shoulder, with tht> 



