68 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



ver Grey (we had rather said black) fox skin at 

 the store of Maj. Cyrus Hill in this town. It was 

 precisely the kind described to have been taken 

 at Augusta, " a jet, polished black with occasion- 

 al hairs of pure white." It was taken at Gilman- 

 ton, and the skin sought out and purchased for 

 $13, the owners being entirely unapprised of its 

 value. This fox was shot by a boy twelve years 

 ■of age while in pursuit of partridges. 



The Silver Grey fox, of whose value we had 

 been apprised many years ago, but one of which 

 we had not before seen, we had supposed to de- 

 rive its name from the color and lustre of the 

 metal whose name it takes ; hut these black fox- 

 es no more resemble silver than they do any 

 thing else. They seem not to be of a different 

 breed, because they are of the shape and size of 

 the common red fox ; and there is nothing about 

 them more novel than a black squirrel distin- 

 guished only in color from the grey squirrel, or 

 the black liora the white sheep. The fur upon 

 the common red fox, in every respect but color, 

 must be as valuable as that of the Silver grey. 

 It is, however, said that tlie Silver Grey fox is 

 used by the wealthy nobility of Europe as the 

 most rare and rich fin- for trimming their costly 

 apparel. 



Agricultural Impediments in Vermont. 



Hon. Isaac Hill: — Sir: We have many im- 

 pediments to agriculture in Vermont ; some of 

 them I will mention. 



A Geological Survey. Among the first, 

 are the want of wise laws, which may be consid- 

 ered a serious obstacle. It is but a few years 

 since a Geological survey of our state has been 

 a subject of agitation. At the two last sittings of 

 our legislature the subject has been under con- 

 sideration, but we have ftiiled to get an appropri- 

 ation to forward this invaluable object. If our 

 farmers generally could hut realize the impor- 

 tance of the subject, it would be in operation the 

 coming summer by individual enterprise. 



Many states have completeil their surveys, and 

 the effect has been not only to lead to the discov- 

 ery of many valuable mines, but it has given an 

 impetus to every branch of Agriculture. A new 

 source and stock, of iuformution has been shed 

 upon the farming community, relating to differ- 

 ent kinds of soils and their management, which 

 has added to the wealth of iarmers in the region 

 of exploration more than would have been done 

 in many years. 



A Geological survey would point out A\liere 

 the different minerals are to he sought, and 

 where they might reasonably he expected to be 

 found. 



These surveys have not only been the means 

 of opening an inexhaustible fund of inlormation 

 to the farmer, but they have had a tendency to 

 increase the revenue of the states, opening both 

 a grand source of state and agricultural i)rosper- 

 ity. 



The agitation of this topic cannot easily occu- 

 py too much of the attention, or at least meet 

 with too much encouragement of the wisestates- 



AVith all the respect due to the representafives 

 of this State, and with the most decided detach- 

 ment from all points of vague and general inno- 

 vation, this important subject cannot be too fre- 

 quently presented to our legislative attention : 

 human wisdom and human selfishness will, it is 

 hoped, be at length found in Vermont enough to 

 adjust the expense of this project ; aud when the 

 account is safely arranged to show a large bal- 

 ance in our favor, then 1 hope the project will ho 

 commenced and pursued with ardent zeal. 



THE FARAIEn UNDERRATED. 



Another impediment to agricultural improve- 

 ment is the want of due estimation of the occupa- 

 tion of husbaudry. Where the cultivation ofthe 

 soil is regarded with contempt, or as beneath the 

 attention of men of rank and education, it will 

 be entrusted tn tin- ii;:iiia"cinPiit of pprsons of 

 narrow (■1..^: i... ■>:-■! ,.■'!...•> nil v.: , i.i'-v.-,- minds. 

 Such \,rrj : : . ■, .;.;,: - iii- as for- 



merly, aii.i .. , :.;i:_- 1 ,> ::.,. , i:,.,'. .^:\.:\ iiui'tion at 

 present Ijut m .-i liiniud i-xti'iit. 



Agriculture is very injuriously checked by the 

 oci'.upier of land not possessing in it a requisite 

 interest. Largo portions of land are cultivated 

 by persons who have no riylit to any particular 

 spot of it, and are not only thus precluded from 

 pergonal and active ridtivaiion, bul by thn scanty 



right and profit which they possess in the gener- 

 al propert}', have no suflicient motive to en- 

 force correct management and improving culti- 

 vation on those [lersons by whom it is actually 

 occupied and owned. 



The idea is entertained by many farmers that 

 an acquaintance with books tends to make their 

 sons less qualified for the discharge of their do- 

 mestic duties. Some farmers regard study as to- 

 tally unnecessary to the success of their opera- 

 tions, and any indication for it is considered as 

 an indication of uselessness for their profession. 



Finally, as the art of husbandry is particularly 

 intricate and comprehensive, and those engaged 

 in it n>ay be either of slight education or seclu- 

 ded in a great degree from mutual intercourse 

 and comi)arative observation, ignorance may very 

 justly be considered as an obstacle to its improve- 

 ment, perhaps the most operative of all. Instead 

 of being collected like artists in cities, and pos- 

 sessing opportunities for animating curiosity, and 

 benefitting by communication, they are scattered 

 over the surface of the country, and have gener- 

 ally cultivated the same lands, and the same 

 prejudices as their fathers. Unless there be a- 

 mong the number of those engaged in this art a 

 certain proportion of persons of intelligence and 

 educated minds capable of turning the experi- 

 ence of themselves and others to advantage, and 

 deriving assistance to agriculture from the dis- 

 covery of other sciences, or arts, it would be in 

 vain in any country to expect its rapid ap|)roach 

 towards that perfect standard to which every hu- 

 man effort should be referred. That the propor- 

 tion of such charactere has considerably iucreas- 

 ed of late years in this country is an observation 

 no less true than pleasing ; and in the class of 

 persons engaged in agricultural pursuits it may 

 be safely affirmed there exists much less tenaci- 

 ty of prejudice, a far greater disposition to re- 

 search and openness to conviction, than were to 

 be found in any former age. Even though in 

 some instances old and absurd routines of prac- 

 tice may have been maintained with more con- 

 stancy through the hasty projects and absurd ex- 

 penses of some innovators, where failures have 

 checked the spirit of improvement and unjustly 

 involved in one common ridicule all deviations 

 from ancient costume ; these effects, however 

 much to be regretted, are only partial, and infor- 

 mation is still making its way into the most re- 

 mote recesses aud the most stubborn minds. 

 Schemes of uncertain speculation that have raged 

 so hard in the west in yeai-s ]>ast. are ceasing to 

 attract so many of our promising youth, and oiu- 

 peculiar healthy state, when connected with 

 scientific agriculture, may regain the rank 

 which its bearing on mankind entitles it 



Those constant and judicious efforts which we 

 are receiving from you and other agricultural ed- 

 itors in other states, will I hope eventually arouse 

 in us that general spirit of improvement ; and 

 that you may all see your most sanguine expec- 

 tations accomplished in this respect, is the sin 

 cere wish of vonr humble servant, 



■ SOLOMON W. JEWETT. 



mybndire, VI. March 22(/, 1841. 



Camhrhlge. Il'itsh. Co. M Y., .Upnl 10, 1841. 



Ho.N. Isaac Hill — Sir: — I am a stranger to 

 yoir, but not to your " Monthly Visitor," which 

 have taken for some time past, and by exchanging 

 with a neighbor, get the reading of our Cultiva- 

 tor, and alst, have die new Genesee Farmer, sent 

 to me by a friend near Rochester, (you will per 

 ccive I am tolerably well supplied with agricul 

 lural reading) and am inclined to think that I 

 learn something from each. lam careful, how 

 ever, to exercise what little judgment I am bless 

 ed with in relation to adopting all that is recom 

 mended in agricultural papers. For instance, if 

 one farmer ad^ ises others to have stables for cat- 

 tle without floors, and another says that Rohan 

 Potatoes are a poor kind, and for the table " abom 

 innble"— I shall not forthwith tear up my stable 

 floors nor stop raising Rohan Potatoes, for the 

 plain rcuSDu that I have used stables for about 

 thirty years iriflt floors, and think they are better 

 Xhixn imihoul floors; and have raised Rohan Pota- 

 toes one season and find them very good for stock, 

 and when raised on dryland and thoroughly ripe, 

 a very good potatoe for the tables 



I am a farmer on a small scale, having only 

 about fifty-five acres under cultivation ; but from 

 readinc your paper and others!. I am beginniii 



think that I cultivate too much, or in other words 

 more than I can manure as well as it should be : 

 however I am learning something every year, and 

 if my life is spared through this season, I intend 

 to inform you how I succeed with crops in my 

 small way. This kind of information, if I mis- 

 take not, is what we who are farmers ought to 

 give to each other from time to time, stating the 

 kind of land, manner of culture, the produce, 

 and any other matters properly connected there- 

 with, to enable other farmers to judge whether 

 the same course may, if pursued by them, result 

 in a similar way. Respectfully yours, 



S. W. 



P. S. The above you can publish in your pa- 

 per, sir, if you shall think it worth an insertion. 

 I write considerable for a farmer, but very seldom 

 write any thing for the jiress — and my composi- 

 tion wants correcting. I was a merchant when 

 young, but have been a farmer nearly thirty years, 

 and expect to continue such as long as I am able 

 to attend to any business. My misfortune has 

 been that I commenced with an idea of having a 

 large farm, being naturally led into it by my fore- 

 fathers. My grandfather came to this place about 

 the year 1760, and purchased together with five 

 others, the Township of Cambridge, so that after 

 giving some to settlers and letting on durable 

 leases, a large number of lots, he had large farms 

 for his three sons who settled in this town, one of 

 whom is yet living — one remained in Hebron, 

 Connecticut, where he died a few years since at 

 an advanced age. I believe the Welles in Massa- 

 chusetts are connected with us, though they spell 

 their name there with two e's : so did my uncle's 

 family at Hebron. SIDNEY WELLS. 



I was pleased to receive two numbers of your 

 paper this week, one of which I forwarded to my 

 friends in Monroe Co. April 1 'ith : Weather very 

 cold, a great body of snow on the Green Moun- 

 tains east of us: and also at the north — season 

 very backward — hay scarce and high,ten to t.welve 

 dollars the ton. 



Brief hints for Spring Work. — Apply ma- 

 nure to corn and potatoe crops, and not to grain 

 crops. 



Let manure be buried as soon as possible after 

 spreading. 



When rotted or fermented manure is applied, 

 let it be as thoroughly mi.\ed with the soil as pos- 

 sible. 



Wheat thrown out of the ground by frost, 

 should be pressed in again by passing a roller 

 over it. 



Ploughiug heavy soils when wet, does more in- 

 jury than if the team were standing idle. 



In ploughing green sward deeply, the furrows 

 must always be at least one-half wider than deep, 

 else the sod will not turn well. 



All grain fields seeded to grass should be 

 rolled. 



Barley should be sown as early as possible, up- 

 on a light and moderately moist soil, at the rate 

 of one and a half to two bushels per acre, accord- 

 ing to the size of the seed. 



A roller should he passed over it as soon as 

 harrowed, to press the soil under it and smooth 

 the field. 



Barley seed mayl)c freed from intermixed oats, 

 by pouring water upon it, when the oats will float, 

 and Itiay be skimmed off". 



Oats require strong, rich soil, good culture and 

 early sowing. 



Preserve leached and unleached ashes, which 

 have accumulated during the winter, to be appli- 

 ed to corn in the hill or row. 



Atier the corn is dropped, put in a small hand- 

 ful of mixture of plaster and leached ashes. 



Plaster is always most efficacious on light and 

 thin soil — on meadow and clover ground, the ear- 

 lier it is sown the better. 



Plaster, when applied to cultivated ground,, is 

 best when worked into the soil. 



Sowing it broadcast upon Indian corn after it 

 is up, has increased the crop 2.5 per cent. 



Every farmer should attempt the field culture 

 of root crops — he may raise as much cattle food 

 fi-om one acre, as from five acres of meadow. — 

 Genesee Farmer. 



Samuel Butterfield, Esq. bn ten acres of i)ine 

 plain land near the Blackwater in Andover, N. H. 

 raised over three hundred bushels of corn the last 

 season : he manured only from ten to twelve ox- 

 cart load"! to the acre. 



