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VOLUME I. 



ROCHESTER, JULY 9, 1831. 



NUMBIOP 27 



PUBLISHED BY L.. TUCKER & CO. 



At the Office of the Daily Advertiser. 

 Terms— $-.50 per annum, or 



$2,00 if paid in advance. 



N. GOODSELL, EDITOR. 



IRRIGATION. 



This is a subject less understood and more 

 neglected by the farmers of Old Genesee, than it 

 ought to be. Blessed with a soil naturally pro 

 ductive, and a climate favorable to the growth 

 of wheat, corn, and many other crops, our farm- 

 ers have not been compelled by necessity to resort 

 to as many artificial methods of increasing their 

 crops, as those of some of the eastern states. Thus 

 far we have sailed before the wind. Wheat has 

 been the staple article of this country, and surely 

 so far has been attended with a fair profit. But 

 let us reverse the prospects — let us suppose our 

 wheat to fail as it has in some of the Eastern 

 States, where formerly they raised fine crops. — 

 This would alter the prospects of this section of 

 ;ountry very much. What would be the resort ? 

 Indian corn, we will admit, is a fair crop with us, 

 but will not bear long transport to market. Of 

 coarse it must be fed to animals, and the beef and 

 pork sent in its stead. But in order to feed beef, 

 much attention must be paid to grazing. During 

 the winter months, or from November to May, 

 six months, it requires very good nursing to keep 

 cattle from losing flesh. Through the months of 

 May and June, grass is generally fresh and plen- 

 ty ; but in most seasons, in the months of July and 

 August, the ground becomes very dry, and cattle 

 are often pinched for want of a sufficient supply 

 of food. By this calculation it would appear that 

 stock under ordinary circumstances gain but little, 

 leaving but four months or one third of the year, 

 for them to take on flesh ; whereas, if proper at- 

 tention was paid to irrigation, most of our farms 

 might produce abundance of fresh grass through 

 the months of July and Angust, which v-nukl 

 make one third difference in the advantage to be 

 derived from grazing. It may be said that west- 

 ern New York is too level to attend much to irri- 

 gation ; but as an offsett against this it may be 

 observed that from this very circumstance there 

 is the more need of it, as in level countries 

 there are not so many durable springs, as where 

 the surface is more uneven. Water is indispensa- 

 bly necessary to the growth of vegetables, as it 

 appears to be the menstruum through which most 

 of the food of plants, which is taken by the roots, 

 js conveyed, and it appears indispensably neces- 

 sary for the distribution of such food, after it is 

 taken up by the roots through the plant. Many 

 countries which are now considered fruitful, un- 

 der the course of irrigation practised, would be- 

 come barren and uninhabitable, was it neglected. 

 Such is Egypt, which owes its productiveness to 

 the artificial supply of water. Artificial lakes 

 and rivers are dug at immense expense, for the 

 purpose of receiving :he superabundant waters of 

 the Nile, during its flood, to be distributed over 

 what would otherwise be a sterile country, during 

 the dry seasons. 



Of a similar description, are the countries of 

 Persia, Peru, Chili and Mexico. It does not seem 

 exactly necessary that our farmers should com- 



mence digging artificial lakes ; but were they to 

 make observations during the dry season, as to 

 points from which water might be obtained, and 

 those parts of their farms which would be most 

 benefitted by watering during the months of July 

 and August, they might greatly promote their in- 

 terests, by thus providing a full supply of grass 

 for their stock during the drought, and greatly in- 

 creasing their crop of hay for the approaching 

 winter. 



We believe it is a fact generally admitted that 

 grazing districts become more wealthy than those 

 which are kept under the plough ; and where the 

 farmers depend almost entirely upon raising grains 

 of different kinds. The prices of these depend 

 with us on a foreign market, and are more fluctu- 

 ating than the price of beef, which is mostly con- 

 sumed at home. We hope our farmers will bear 

 this subject in mind, during the coming season, 

 and make their deductions. 



PARASITIC PLANT. 



There is found growing upon, and firmly uni- 

 ted to the roots of the black oak, in this vicinity, a 

 plant, which wc are not aware of having seen 

 particularly described by any American botanist. 

 This plant attains the height of about six inches, 

 and the thickness of from half to three quarters 

 of an inch, without leaves, the stalk thickly set 

 with seed vessels, which are two valved, and ma- 

 ny seeded, much resembling in the growth the 

 beech drops, (Monotropa lanuginosa) but larger, 

 and without branches, the colour a pearly white, 

 inclining to yellow. It corresponds in many of 

 its characteristics, with the Orobanche of Eng- 

 land, but is different in many respects ; but we 

 are disposed to consider it one of the same family 

 of plants. It is one of the most interesting of all 

 the parasitic plants. When examined it will be 

 found to have united to the root by a granular 

 process, causing an enlargement not unlike the 

 place where a cion has united to the stock, and 

 may fairly be considered a piece of natural graft- 

 ing. 



The root of the oak will be found on examina- 

 tion to be sound and healthy, even to the very 

 point of union. This parasitic plant does not ap- 

 pear to be furnished with any roots of its own. 

 and evidently receives its nourishment from the 

 root of the oak, which ending with the plant gives 

 it a very singular appearance. This would seem 

 an exception to the general rule " that plants do 

 not take upon each other by grafting, unless they 

 belong to the same class and order." Should this 

 come under the observation of any Professor of 

 Botany, who is acquainted with this plant, we 

 should be happy to receive and publish his obser- 

 vations upon it. 



JEFFERSON COUNTY. 



We have received from Jefferson County, the 

 pedigree of the imported horse Roman,which has 

 lately been purchased by a number of gentlemen 

 of that county, with a request that we would take 

 such notice of it as we should think proper. As 

 he has descended from foreign stock, a particular 

 description perhaps might not be interesting to 

 our readers, as most of the horses mentioned are 

 only known to foreigner£,or may be to some of our 



sportsmen. Wc therefore refer our readers topag.: 

 179, where sufficient mention is made of thehorsf 

 to satisfy breeders that he is in point of blood one 

 of the first horses in America, and one of which 

 the fanners of Jefferson county may justly be 



proud. 



LOCUST. 



We have watched the progress of these insects 

 in this neighborhood with some anxiety, never 

 having witnessed their appearance before. We 

 acknowledge there is something so much out of 

 the common course of nature in their periodical 

 returns, that even Entomologists themselves, are 

 puzzled to give a reason for the number of years 

 required for their passing tlirough their different 

 stages. 



There appears to be some little difference with 

 Entomologists with regard to the precise number 

 of years required for their return,which may have 

 arisen from there having been two setts of insects 

 in the same ground, making each their appearance 

 according to the time of their descent into the eartli 

 Linnaeus had satisfied himself with regard to 

 their time of appearance, from which circum- 

 stance he gave them the name of Cicada Septem- 

 decern, being expressive of their return once in 

 seventeen years. We have examined different 

 authors respecting their history, but have found 

 none so particular and concise as a notice of them 

 by Doct. S. P. Hildreth of Marietta, Ohio, pub- 

 lished in the American Journal of Science, vol 

 18, No. 1, page 47. 



As many of our readers may wish their his 

 tory, who have not that work by them, we have 

 selected it for publication in the Farmer, but will 

 remark that they made their appearance in this 

 neighborhood one month later than at Marietta, 

 as mentioned by the Doctor, or about the first of 

 June, and on the first of July most of them were 

 dead. 



From the American Journal of Science and Arte. 



Notices and Observations on the American 

 Cicada, or Locust ; by Dr. S. P. Hil- 

 dreth. 



Cicada, Septemdecem of Lin. Tettigo- 

 nia, Septemdecem of Fabr. Head black, 

 eyes brick red, thorax and back black orve- 

 y dark brown, the latter edged with or- 

 ange ; wings transparent, immaculate, loner 

 margins of a rich orange ; abdomen dark 

 brown, the lings of a datk yellow or of dun 

 colour ; opercula, oval ; legs and breast, 

 same color as that of the rings. 



No part of natural history more abounds 

 in wonderful and extraordinary productions 

 than that portion of it embraced in the stu- 

 dy of Entomology. Whether we consider 

 the number and variety of insects, or the 

 curious changes they undergo in the progress 

 of their existence, we are led to admire not 

 only their elegant forms and beautiful col- 

 ors, but also the harmony and order which 

 attends all the operations of nature. Among 

 this numerous class, none excites the won- 

 der and admiration of man, more than the 

 cicada septemdecem. The regularity with 

 which they return at the expiration of sev- 

 enteen years, their simultaneous appearance 

 over a vast extent of country, and the count- 

 less myriads of their numbers, equally ar- 

 rest our attention. They have made their 

 appearance at Marietta, Ohio, at three dif- 



