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THE GENESEE FARMER. 



May 21, 1831. 



SELECTIONS. 



SUGAR FROM BEETS. 



[From ihe Zancsville [Ohio] Gazette ] 



We have made an extract from Niles' 

 Register on the cultivation of the sugar cane 

 in Louisiana, giving the product of sugar 

 ,ind molasses per acre, the capital employ- 

 ed, &.C., for the sake of showing that our 

 farmers, at home, possess superior advanta- 

 ges for the production of sugar, at a cheap- 

 er rate, and in greater quantity per acre. It 

 may he done from the beet root of the com- 

 mon kind, but the French white beet is pref- 

 erable. To this end we make extracts from 

 a letter addressed by the Hon. VVm. John- 

 son, of South Carolina, to the Hon. Jacob 

 Burnet, Ohio, and published in the Western 

 Tiller. Mr. Johnson has thoroughly exam- 

 ined the subject, by the observations and ex- 

 periments of successive years, of the com- 

 parative produce of the best and the sugar 

 cane. He states as follows : — 



"My friends at Washington were amused 

 at my enthusiasm when 1 expressed the o- 

 pinion that the day might arrive, when Ohio 

 would sell sugar to Louisiana. I will not 

 he discouraged by their (at present) very rea- 

 sonable doubts. I saw the time when the 

 first projector of raising cotton in the interi- 

 or of South Carolina, was ridiculed as a vis- 

 ionary. And when poor Fitch had not only 

 projected the application of steam to boat 

 navigation, but actually succeeded in run- 

 ning a boat between Philadelphia and Tren- 

 ton, on principles scarcely varying from! 

 steam machinery now in use, he was still 

 left to die neglected as a. visionary, or at best) 

 the projector of an idle and impracticable 

 scheme, while a more fortunate disciple,' 

 Robert Fulton, like Americus Vespucius,) 

 has borne away the honor. So with regard! 

 to making sugar from beets, in order to ren-j 

 der France independent in war and in peace; 

 of her natural enemy, we all remember how- 

 Bonaparte was ridiculed in the British prints 

 — and now, the sugar from the beet is set 

 down as the most promising source of her 

 agricultural wealth. 



" Let us present a calculation," says Mr. 

 Johnson, " adapted to our own language 

 and experience. We know here, Jrom actu- 

 al experiment, that two square feet can be 

 made to produce a beet weighing eleven or 

 twelve pounds ; but to be very moderate, we 

 will take an acre of land planted in beets 

 one foot apart, and allaw three feet between 

 the drill. This gives a beet for every three 

 feet superficial measure, to which we may 

 fairly allow four pounds weight. We will 

 take the acre, for round numbers, to contain 

 44,000 square feet, which divided by 3, will 

 give 14,666 beets. Estimate these at 4 lbs. 

 each, we shall have a product of 58,664 lbs. 

 of root. The beet may be made to yield 97 

 or 8 per cent, of juice, if properly operated 

 upon, but we will take it at 60 per cent. which 

 is the lowest product, and that yields us, in 

 round numbers, 85, 000 lbs. of juice, which 

 at 5 per cent, is 1750 lbs. of brown sugar, 

 besides the molasses." 



Now this, like silk, is the proper business 

 of farmers, and the experiment may be made 

 by any family on a small scale, without in- 

 curring any expense, and the making of su- 

 gar might be the employment of autumn, 

 after the other crops are gathered in. We 

 believe this subject to be worthy not only of 

 the serious consideration, but of the deter- 

 mined resolution of our agricultural com- 



munity to attempt the cultivation of sugar 

 from the beet. They would in this way sup- 

 ply themselves with that article, and furnish 

 a surplus for market much easier than from 

 the sugar tree. If our farmers seize the 

 objects which call for their enterprise where 

 they are already located, they will have no 

 temptation to sell their improved farms and 

 to migrate farther west. 



The process for making sugar from the 

 beet is very simple, and will be given here- 

 after. 



BAP. LEY. 



It is an important fact, which is perhaps 

 not generally known, that nearly all the 

 barley consumed in the United States, is 

 grown in the state of New-York. This un- 

 doubtedly is caused by the superiority of the 

 article to any raised in the neighboring 

 states. It is evident therefore that the soil 

 and climate of this state, are uncommonly 

 favorable to the growth of this crop. Of 

 late years it has been observed that the bar- 

 ley crops at the east and south have deteri- 

 orated, while with us the article has gradu- 

 ally improved in quality. It is within the 

 recollection of many, that some years since 

 the breweries of this city were supplied with 

 barley which was brought from other states ; 

 while at this time the brewers of the north 

 and south receive their supplies from this 

 state. It is estimated that 500,000 bushels 

 were grown in this state last year, princi- 

 pally in the western section, 200,000 bushels 

 of which were consumed in this city and its 

 vicinity. The surplus was eagerly sought 

 for, and bought up for other markets. — Alb. 

 Advocate. — — 



There is one habit among farmers, or those 

 who pretend to be farmers, which we could 

 wish to see corrected. We have noticed 

 that very many, when they have collected 

 and harvested their crops, do little more du- 

 ring the winter months than to carry their 

 produce (not their surplus, but nearly all) 

 to market, and loitering away the winter in 

 preying upon what they have not sold : so 

 that in the spring, when their labors are to 

 be renewed, they have to buy their supplies 

 for the summer ! Every prudent husband- 

 man will reserve enough for his family and 

 his herds; and instead of idling away the 

 cold weather, will be careful to procure his 

 year's fuel, get out his flax, prepare the ma- 

 terials for new, and repair old fences — 'ride' 

 his logs to the saw-mill, and top oil" the win- 

 ter by a vigorous campaign in the sap-bush; 

 then see to the condition of . slice]), cows,&.c. 

 I suppose I need not allude to his intemper- 

 ance — that is I hope, already banished from 

 the farmer. — Orleans Republican. 



EXTRAORDINARY PRODUCTIVENESS. 



In the month of September there were 

 sown, in a garden near Silberberg, in Sile- 

 sia, 287 grains of wheat. At the ensuing 

 harvest, they actually produced 117,5 14 grs. 

 fully and perfectly matured ! There were 

 two ears, among the rest, one of which con- 

 tained 1055, and the other 1077 perfect 

 grains. The longest halm measured six feet 

 two inches in length, inclusive of the ear, 

 and sonic of the leaves were two feet and 

 more in length.— Literary Gazette. 



Method of preserving Grain from the dep- 

 redations oj Mice. — Fix in a heap of grain 

 (or in any similar matter which you desire 

 to keep from the ravages of the mice) some 

 stalks, with their branches and leaves, either 



green or dry, of water cresses, (sisymbrium) 

 and none of these mischievious animals will 

 approach it. Some leaves of this plant will 

 be even sufficient to drive them from any 

 place to which it is desired to prevent their 

 having access. 



To stop mouse holes. — Take a plug of the 

 common brown soap, stop the hole with it, 

 and you may rest assured you will have no 

 further trouble from that quarter. It is e- 

 qually effectual as regards rats, roaches, and 

 ants. 



An easy and certain cure for Dyspepsia. — 

 Take every morning, as soon as you rise out 

 of bed, one tea-spoonful of fine salt, with 

 half a pint of water, for one week ; then 

 weekly one tea-spoonful less, and so on till 

 you reduce it to one tea-spoonful. This has 

 cured a gentleman in this city, who has la- 

 labored under that complaint for 4 months. — 

 Albany paper. 



WASH YOUR FRUIT TREES. 



I was pleased in looking over your paper 

 of the 5th inst. to see potash dissolved in 

 water recommended as a w ash for fruit trees. 

 As the discovery conies from so respectable 

 a source as the late Gov. Brooks, I hope it 

 will be generally used by our farmers. No 

 person need to be afraid of injuring their 

 fruit trees, but it may be applied with the 

 greatest confidence. I Have used it nearly 

 twenty years with great effect. 



I have recommended it to a great main 

 gentlemen, but only few have used it. Those 

 who have tried it, are much pleased with it- 

 operation. 



The reason that it has not been more gen- 

 erally used is, that it has been more fash- 

 ionable to daub the trees with lime, clay, 

 manure, and other compositions, which take 

 two or three years to wash off before the 

 trees will look natural. When this solution 

 of potash is applied it has the desired effect 

 immediately. It kills the lice and moss at 

 Sionce; and the first rain that comes washes 

 the bark perfectly smooth, and gives it a 

 fair, natural, healthy color. 



My way of using this preparation is, to 

 dissolve two pounds of potash of the firsl 

 quality in seven quarts of water, for the bo- 

 dies of the trees It is put on with a white- 

 wash brush. If the limbs are covered with 

 moss and lice, 1 take a painter's brush, and 

 apply the solution to the moss, is.c. with care 

 not to touch the leaves or buds. It may be 

 done at any time of the year when we arc 

 most at leisure. Once in from two to four 

 years is generally sufficient. I have no gen- 

 eral rule, however, but wash them as often 

 as they appear to need it, which is always 

 the case when the bark is not smooth. The 

 expense and trouble of this wash are so 

 small, that it is in the power of the poorest 

 man in the state, who owns any trees, to 

 have them look handsome, and in a line, 

 thrifty state, if in addition to this he will 

 take pains to have his ground spaded deep, 

 and loose round the roots. 



B. Wheeler. 



Remedy for Lice in Cattle. — We have been 

 informed by a gentleman who has fur manv 

 jears kept a large stock of cattle, that fun 

 dry sand scattered on the back, neck and 

 sides of the animals, is an effectual remedy 

 against these vermin. He collects dry sand, 

 and puts it in a box or tub in the bam, and 

 occasionally applies it during the winter by 

 sifting or strewing it over the body of each 

 creature, with complete success. 



