218 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



July 16, 1831 



TOADS. 



There are few parts of the animal creation 

 that are looked upon with more contempt than 

 toads ; and yet they are capable of ministering to 

 the comfort and convenience of man. One rea- 

 son why we look upon them with so much con- 

 tempt is, that we form our opinions of them, as 

 we are too apt to do with our own species, alto- 

 gether by outward appearances, without inqui- 

 ring into their good or bad qualities. We con- 

 fess that there is nothing very inviting in the out- j 

 ward appearance of one of these animals ; but 

 when we make ourselves more acquainted with 

 their habits, our dislike of them ceases, for in this 

 it is as in politics — we laud that man who is wor- 

 king for us, whom wewould treat with contempt 

 in another situation. Toads, during the summer 

 months feed almost entirely upon insects, and in 

 the ordinary course of their feeding the number de- 

 stroyed is quite considerable. Mr. Bradley, in 

 his Treatise on Husbandry and Gardening.states 

 that, a pair of sparrows, during the time they 

 have their young, destroy 3,300 caterpillars each 

 vei k, or '240 for eacli bird daily. Now if we 

 make comparison between the size of a toad and 

 a sparrow, and allow that a given weight, of ei- 

 ther requires a given quantity of food for a certain 

 period, we must suppose that the number of in- 

 sects devoured by toads is very great. We have 

 frequently seen it recommended to put toads in 

 gardens to preserve young cucumber plants from 

 the striped bug. They are not effectual for that 

 purpose, as the bug does most damage during the 

 heat of the day ; at which time the toad either 

 burrows himself in the ground, or seeks some o- 

 ther retreat from the rays of the sun. 



They are, however, very useful at the same 

 time for other purposes. The brown worms 

 which destroy the cabbage plants, do their mis- 

 chief in the night, at which time the toads are on 

 the alert ; and if a sufficient number of them are 

 put in a garden, they will protect the cabbage. — 

 But it is during the months of July and August 

 that these animals will be found of the greatest 

 use to trie gardener. Although the melon, cu- 

 cumber and squash vines during these months, 

 are of that size that the yellow bugs cannot en- 

 tirely destroy them, yet they continue to feed and 

 Siultiply upon them in a compound ratio, and in 

 this neighborhood the large black brown bugs 

 often become so numerous upon squashes as en- 

 tirely to check the growth of the vines. Where 

 gardens are fenced with boards and tight, a few 

 toads put in will entirely destroy those bugs, 

 which if left would be sure to appear in an abun- 

 dance the following spring. 



It lias been recommended to place small pieces 

 of boards about one inch from the ground, suppor- 

 ts ii upon small stones, in that quarter of the gar- 

 den where the labors of these animals are want 

 ed, as they will take shelter from the sun, under 

 them ; but after cabbage leaves have attained their 

 size, they afford them sufficient covering. 



It is of as much importance and benefit to the 

 succeeding crop that insects should be destroyed 

 as weeds, for although insects arc furnished with 

 wings, there is reason to believe that they deposit 

 their eggs near tin; place where they feed, as we 

 frequently observe that fields which have beer! a 

 few years in grass, when ploughed and planted 

 hvim , that they are not eaten with bugs al- 



though contiguous to gardens or old fields where 

 they are very injurious. 



DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 

 There is not one point of Domestic Economy 

 that requires a more rigid inspection and superin- 

 tendance among our farmers than the dress of 

 his family. A suitable attention to dress is at all 

 times commendable, but in order that this atten- 

 tion may be properly applied, a suitable educa- 

 tion should be given to children in regard to it. — 

 Although the particular fashion, so far as regards 

 the cut of a garment, may be constantly chang- 1 

 ing, yet there are some general rules with regard 

 to dress, which abide for ages. As our Tailors 

 are constantly puffing off their goods, as London 

 fashions, the following extract from the London 

 Weekly Times,may give us some idea of the taste 

 of that metropolis : — 



" It is somewhat singular that the passion 

 for dress among males, is almost exclusively 

 confined to tradesmen and persons in the low- 

 er ranks of lift. There are no people in the 

 world who dress so plainly as the House of 

 Peers and House of Commons. Indeed, 

 there are but few members of these august 

 bodies, whom a Fleet-street shopman would 

 not turn up his nose at in the street. There 

 are many people who are not yet aware thai 

 in good society it is considered a mark of 

 vulgarity to be dressed particularly well." 



has been the same in Baltimore, and as far 

 as we have heard from in all directions, 

 | there is little hope that the other Eastec 

 Shore counties have fared better than Dor- 

 chester. The wheat harvest in Baltimore 

 and the upper counties, has not generally 

 commenced, and we have a hope that the 

 weather will clear up in time for it. After 

 all that has been said of the depredations of 

 the fly, frost, t*k.c. we believe that, favoured 

 with a good harvest time, the wheat crop of 

 1831, in the upper counties of Maryland 

 and Virginia, will be at least equal to that 

 of any former year. 



Since the above was written, we have seer, 

 a gentleman who was in Kent county on 

 Monday last. He represents the state of 

 the weather and the crops as being most dis- 

 tressing. He saw the wheat standing in 

 shocks, and having the appearance of green 

 grass — so completely had it become ' crown.' 

 We have no hope for the safety of any of 

 the Eastern Shore wheat — how much further 

 the disaster has extended, remains yet to be 

 seen. At present there appears no more 

 prospect of fair weather than there was a 

 week ago, and if it continues thus much lon- 

 ger, even the wheat that remains standing 

 will hardly be worth harvesting. — ,4m. Far, 



SPESUTIA FARM. 



The farm, which is the subject of the pres- 

 ent article, belongs to Mr. W. Smith, of 

 Baltimore, Maryland. The account, which 

 In the streets of London the style of dress j! we take from the American Farmer, can 

 is an indication of the character of females, j not fail of being read with interest by farm 

 —those of character and fortune may be e . rs - /One of the leading principles on which 

 seen in rich and ehaste attire ; while those 



who have renounced every claim to decency 

 are fluttering in all the glare of frippery.and 



this farm i= conducted, is not employing an 

 overseer, by which an expense of £500 is 

 saved. Mr. Smith has found the conse- 

 quence of not trusting his farm to the man - 



of their finery for the remainder of their 

 days. We believe that there .ire but few 

 exceptions to the rule, " that those who are 

 passionately fond of dress, are people of 

 small minds and low breeding.*' 



iof what in some parts of America would be iagement of an overseer, to be an increase 

 called fashion. If our young ladies could \\ oi i,s productions. The experiment is a 

 but once anticipate the opinion of a well st "*' n S Stance of what may be acenru 

 , , , !' pushed by systematic regulations. We 



bred foreigner, who may chance to see them consider a description of farms to be among 

 in their prettiest, we should think it would: the most useful topics for agri ulturists: and 

 be sufficient to disrobe them of three-fourths |j we should be happy to have communica- 

 tions on the subject. — Nexe-York Farmer. 



1st. The farm is situated at the distance 

 of about thirtyfive miles from the residence of 

 the owner. This circumstance alone would 

 seem to render an overseer indispensably 

 necessary. To dimish the evils of so great 

 a distance, he has established an invariable 

 rotation of crops, and a systematic arrange- 

 ment of all the various operations of the 

 farm. With such uniform regularity, as to 

 time, altered only by casualties, are the 

 several pieces of work begun and ended eve- 

 ry year, that in visiting his farm, he knows 

 to a moral certainty, in what particular 

 work he will find his people employed, what 

 progress they have, or ought to have made 

 in the general business, and of course what 

 are the indications, if any, of negligence or 

 idleness. All this, it is obvious, evinces, on 

 the part of the negroes, vigilance and indus- 

 try. 



2d. The farm consists of 150 acres of 

 rich upland, and of about 550 acres re- 

 claimed marsh, which > s > n progress of be' 

 ing drained. That portion of the upland 

 which is under cultivation, is divided into 

 live equal fields of 70 acres each. The 

 course of rotation is corn, oats, wheat, clover, 

 wheat ; a system too severe, were it not for 

 the abundant supply of manure every spring 

 and autumn. The field in corn is manured 

 throughout every spring, and the field in 



FLORAL CALENDAR. 

 July I5t!i. 

 There are but few flowers at this season that 

 would serve to denote the advance of vegetation, 

 if mentioned. 



Wheat is nearly fit for harvesting — Cum is 

 coming into blossom in the fields, — some of the 

 early kinds raised in gardens fit for boiling. 



Baltimore, July 8. 

 The Weather and the Harvest — For 

 eight or ten days past, we have had most 

 unfavorable weather for the harvest, it hav- 

 ing been rainy or cloudy during the whole 

 of that time. In all the southern and east- 

 ern shore counties of Maryland and Virgin- 

 ia, the harvest had just commenced as the 

 rain set in ; and, so far as we have heard, 

 the result has been, or will be, most disas 



lions. 



The following letter from one of the most 

 extensive farmers in Dorchester county, Md. 

 will give an idea of the state of the harvest 

 in thai county. As the state of the weather 



