164 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



May 28, 1S3I- 



LE RAY DE CHACMOST'S ADDRESS. 

 Concluded from page 155. 



The operations of the farmer would be 

 much facilitated, if he could foresee with 

 some tolerable degree of certainty the ap- 

 proaching changes of the weather. Henee 

 have arisen, as men are apt to answer their 

 wants by fictitious means, when they cannot 

 do it by real ones, some of those prognostics 

 which we find disseminated in all countries 

 and in all ages, which are still believed in, 

 like the predictions of card-tellers, or the 

 explanations of dream interpreters, though 

 thev have disappointed a thousand times. — 

 There is an instrument, the immediate ob- 

 ject of which does not appear, at first view, 

 to promise the results which have been found 

 to be drawn from it. The barometer meas- 

 ures the relative weight of the atmosphere, 

 by means of a column of mercury or quick- 

 silver which rises in a glass tube, deprived 

 of air, when the atmospheric air becomes 

 heavier ; and lower when the air is lighter. 

 It has been remarked that the first effect is 

 generally followed by good weather, and the 

 latter by bad, in a greater or lesser degree, 

 according to the rise or fall of the mercury, 

 and other circumstances which the habit of 

 consulting the instrument will soon teach to 

 distinguish. Along the sea coast, and on 

 the ocean, this effect of the mercury is more 

 generally indicative of the force of the wind, 

 and hence this instrument has now become 

 a necessary appendage to a well appointed 

 ship ; but in the interior the indications of 

 (he barometer, although they also are influ- 

 enced by the winds, are more particularly 

 in reference to rain. We have made use of 

 this instrument at Le Kaysville for some 

 years, and have acquired the habit and the 

 confidence of being guided by it whenever 

 the coming state of the weather becomes a 

 matter of interest, and we now are like most 

 of those who have been in the same practice, 

 at a loss when we are deprived of our coun- 

 sellor. I have no doubt that a good farmer 

 who would pay ten or twelve dollars for such 

 an instrument, would find that he could not 

 well have applied the same sum to a better 

 purpose. Were six barometers ordered at 

 once, they might be had in New-York for 

 five or six dollars. 



Another means of attaining useful knowl- 

 edge I would mention, is the subscribing to 

 some periodical publication principally de- 

 voted to agriculture. There are two which, 

 from their location and the manner in which 

 ihey are conducted, I would highly recom- 

 mend. One is the New-York Farmer, pub- 

 lished monthly in the city of New-York, at 

 three dollars; the other the New-England 

 Farmer, a weekly paper of Boston, at two 

 dollars fifty cents per annum. The New- 

 England Farmer is taken by two of our most 

 enlightened members, who have the highest 

 opinion of its merits and usefulness. Some 

 numbers of those papers will be distributed 

 with a part of the premiums. In taking a 

 paper devoted to agriculture, it might be an 

 economical and otherwise advantageous way 

 !o unite several in a close neighborhood, and 

 meet weekly on some evening to read the 

 paper. Each would make his remarks, and 

 bring his stock of knowledge and experience. 

 The young part of the families would be in- 

 structed. The habit of observation, of in- 

 vestigation, the social feelings which such 

 meetings would foster, would, it seems to 

 me, produce very great benefits. 



The New-York Farmer is under the pat- 



ronage of the horticultural society of that 

 city, but both papers devote a large space to 

 gardening ; and it would perhaps not be a- 

 mong the least beneficial results this would 

 produce, if they should improve so useful 

 and important a part of a good farm. It is 

 well to raise the best provender for our cat 

 tie, and adopt new species when they are 

 well recommended ; but I think we ought I 

 to take as good care of ourselves. 



A well cultivated garden on a farm be- 

 speaks more than any thing else, order and 

 comfort, and has this peculiar merit, that it 

 is an outward testimony in praise of the fe- 

 male part of the family, whose care is ne- 

 cessary to its success.* 



VVe derive most of our population from a 

 part of the country where more regard is 

 paid to this branch, and where new and in- 

 creasing emulation is excited by their flour- 

 ishing horticultural societies. We are yet 

 too young here for such an institution ; but 

 our socieiy may very properly and usefully 

 at present extend its care and encourage- 

 ment over our gardens. It has been a sub- 

 ject of remark with the traveller, and of re- 

 gret in the new comer, that so fine a coun- 

 try having made such astonishing progress 

 in every thing else, should be comparative- 

 ly backward as to gardens. It has been ob- 

 served to you on a former occasion ny one 

 well qualified to speak on that subject, that 

 in no country are the vegetables better than 

 in this, nor are our fruits inferior to any, so 

 far as we have tried them. You will con- 

 duce to your health and comfort by attend- 

 ing to this subject. Some vegetables of ear- 

 ly and profitable cultivation, which you will 

 find noticed in the papers above mentioned, 



will often compensate for going a great dis- 

 tance round. A level road is of the utmos! 

 importance to the farmers who have to car- 

 ry their produce to market, and when we 

 shall become fully sensible of it, we may be 

 put to a great expense and trouble in going 

 through improved farms, kc. to level our 

 roads. In parts of the United States, where 

 science and experience are combined in es- 

 tablishing roads, the angle the road is to 

 make with the horizon is determined and 

 adhered to. The very backbone of this con- 

 tinent has been passed at such an angle as 

 would hardly seem to us, in this even coun- 

 try, to form an ascent. There is no reason 

 why we should remain behind our age on 

 this subject. 



The thistle, for which it is supposed we 

 are indebted to our northern neighbors, has 

 often been attacked in this place, and to all 

 appearance with such little success, that it 

 requires some degree of fortitude to renew 

 the battle. Yet it is one of so much moment 

 that v. e ought not to feel discouraged at ev- 

 ery successive attempt which may fail. It 

 is an undertaking which can succeed only 

 by general co-operation. I am convinced 

 from what I have seen and heard, that with 

 united and proper efforts, this increasing evil 

 may be completely overcome, and with much 

 less labor and in less time than is general- 

 ly believed. Cutting when the stem is hol- 

 low, and chiefly before a rain, is effectual. 

 Throwing upon the stumps the salt you want 

 to feed to your cattle, has been known to 

 succeed, and a due cultivation with Indian 

 icorn, wheat and clover, it is asserted, will 

 completely subdue them in all cases. But 

 a farmer must not feel secure because he is 



are generally unknown here, and would be exempt from them, or even his neighbor 



valuable acquisitions ; and as to fruits, the 

 example of some of our best farmers is not 

 sufficiently followed, and it would seem as if 



hood. The seeds are wafted by the wind 



to a great distance, and one field only, one 

 | single small spot of ground, which from 



the generality were satisfied with such pro- isome cause may he given up to theencroach- 

 ductions as our forests contain, with the ad- |ing stranger, may poison a whole plantation, 

 dition sometimes of seedling apples. We | Some parts of the gronnd are now so im- 

 are too far advanced to remain longer in this f pregnated with the seed, even at a distance 

 unfarmerlike state, and it is time we should [ from cleavings, that if the smallest opening 

 render ourselves worthy of the country where is made in the woods, it will take possession. 



it is our good fortune to be placed 



The society has heretofore taken the sub- 

 ject of roads into consideration, and justly 

 so. Not only do they form an important l| 

 part of the yearly labor of every farmer, but 

 the subject is not so generally understood, 

 if we judge from practice, as it ought to be. 

 I cannot, of course, enter into a detailed ex- 

 amination at present; but I am glad of an 

 opportunity, at this yet early part of our set- 

 tlement, to bring the public attention to the 

 mode of laying out roads. Following the 

 straight line is a very good rule of our moral 

 code, but it does not apply to the making of 

 roads; as it is not always true in finance that 

 two and two make four, so the straight line 

 is not always in fact the shortest distance 

 between two points. We see every where in 

 this country the roads going up and down 

 the steepest hills, when they might have been 

 avoided with the greatest facility. One sin- 

 gle hill in a road to be travelled will gener- 

 ally determine the load we can take, and the 

 time spent in going up a steep hill of twenty 

 rods, the expense which may result from ac- 

 cidents, besides other serious consequences, 



" I take the liberty of requesting, for the benefit 

 of our next cattle show, all those who have any line 

 fruit, and particularly that which is rare, to send n 

 sample of it to our society for exhibition on that 

 day. 



Theie is one way in which one single man. 

 in every road district, who would be deter- 

 mined not to give up till he had conquered, 

 might do much to effect the desired object. 

 By the statute on highways, it is enacted 

 that " it shall be the duty o{ the overseers 

 to cause the noxious weeds on each side of 

 the highway within their respective districts, 

 to be cut down or destroyed twice in each 

 year, once before the first day of July, and 

 again before the first day of September, and 

 the requisite laliotn shall be considered high- 

 way work." A neglect of such a duty can 

 arise generally but from ignorance of the ob- 

 ligation, or from carelessness. The first is 

 easily removed by any inhabitant who cho- 

 ses to be free from weeds ; and the second 

 might be cured by being reminded that a 

 penalty of ten dollars is attached to a neg- 

 lect of the duty. The example thus set 

 would be followed by fanners along the road, 

 and by perseverance, the happy result may 

 be expected. 



The use of plaster in quickening the growth 

 of grasses will be very useful, and you will 

 therefore find it important to choose the 

 Pennsylvania clover, and the lucerne, which 

 are cut twice, or oftener. This season has 

 been favorable to weeds. It therefore be- 

 hoves us to be prepared with all our mean? 

 to meet them the next year. 



