August, 1842. 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



123 



A coiTet-ponileiu requests lis to insert tlie fol- 

 lowing article Iroiii the New England FiinirCV, 

 being an experiiiieiit of the editor of tiiat ]>a[jer, 

 who is a practical farmer: 



A trial ot Crushed Bone as a Manure for Win- 

 ter Rye. 



In the month of August, last year, we broke up 

 between two and three acres, of plain pasture 

 land ; the soil rather light, and the surliice quite 

 mossy. After it was ploughed, the roller was pas- 

 sed over the whole. Sept. 8, we marked out a 

 portion of it into squares, three rods by three, and 

 on to 16 of these squares, we put 8 biislfels of 

 bone — a half bushel on each square. This bone 

 was applied diy and unmixed, just as it came 

 iioni the cask. The rate was a little less than 9 

 bushels per acre. Another and contiguous por- 

 tion of the land had applied to it at the same time 

 four bushels of bone at the rate of 16 bushels per 

 acre. This is all the application that was made 

 to any part of the lot. 'I'he ground not covered 

 by this hone was left without any manure. 



On the 8th of Sept. the rye was .sowed, 5 pecks 

 of seed per acre,an<l this with tiie lione were har- 

 rowed in together. The harrow passed first 

 lengthwise the furrow, and then crosswise, and 

 after this the ground was again rolled. 



The weather immediately after this was warm 

 and the ground was moist. In one week the 

 grain was well up, and in three weeks, that where 

 the hone was applied, was very |)erceptibly in ad- 

 vance of the other. It kept in advance through 

 the autumn, became more firmly rooted, and 

 much less of it was killed out by the winter. Late 

 in March, the field was again rolled. In April, a 

 considerable portion of the iiiece was harrowed ; 

 the teeth of the harrow used being so set that they 

 run six inches apart. 



Also in April, we spread bone at the rate of 

 bushels per acre upon a portion of the rye where 

 none had been applied the preceding autumn. 

 This hone was left upon the surface, and was nei- 

 ther rolled nor harrowed in. 



During the spring and early part of the sum- 

 mer, the straw looked nearly as well where we 

 applied 9 bushels per acre as where the rate was 

 16 ; and this that was boned had ajiparently four 

 times as much bulk of straw upon it in June as 

 the other. 



At one time this rye wore a strange appear- 

 ance ; nearly every straw was as while as it is 

 now, in places an inch, an inch and a half, or two 

 inches long, and extending entirely around the 

 straw. On some straws these wliite rings were 

 near the head, on otiiers as low down as the mid- 

 dle. We never saw or heard any thing of the 

 kind before ; we supposed the crop was ruined, 

 and commenced cutting up and feeding out to our 

 stock. In two or three days, however, we Ibund 

 that the sap continued to flow, and we left off 

 cutting. The affection was seen as well on the 

 I)arts not boned as on those that were. 



On the 16th of July, the rye was fit for the cra- 

 dle, and we then cut portions of it to he bound 

 and threshed separately, for the purpose of as- 

 certaining the effect of the different applications 

 and different treatment. 



To do this fiiirly as possible, we took in the 

 centre of the field, the half of one of the lands 

 made by ploughing ; and in measm ing, went from 

 the centre of the hollow or dead furrow, to the 

 centre of the ridge or back furrow. Our appli- 

 cations had been so made that each of them cros- 

 sed this strip at right angles. We cut July 16; 

 threshed and measured July 28 and 29. The lots 

 were as follows : 



No. 1. Containing 10 1 7 square rods. Had 

 bone, 9 bush, per acre, ap[)lied in the spring, and 

 was iiot harrowed. Gave 18 qts. of rye, or 9 bush- 

 els per acre, by measure. The weight was 334 Ihs. 



No. 2. Contaiiung lOi square rods. Was har- 

 rowed in April, hut had no manure at any time. 

 Gave 1.5 qts. or 7 bushels 8 qts. per acre 6^ mea- 

 sure. Weight 29i lbs. 



No. 3. Containing 13 2-5 rods. Had bone in 

 Sept. ; 16 bushels per acre ; was harrowed in 

 April ; gave .52 qts. or 19 bushels 12 qts. per acre, 

 6^ measure. Weight 98 lbs. 



No. 4. Containing 13 2-5 rods. Had bone in 

 Sept. ; 9 bushels per acre, and was harrowed in 

 April. Gave 39 qts., or 14 bushels 17 qls. jier 

 acre, by measure. . Weight 73 1-2 lbs. 



No. 5. Containing 8 3-4 rods. Boned in Sept.; 

 9 bushels per acre. JVot harrowed in April. Gav4 



27 1-2 qts., or 15 bushels 23 qts. per acre, by mea 

 swe. Weight 5U lbs. 



These several lots give an average weight of 

 the grain per bushel, of 60 2-5 lbs. nearly. 



The results arrived at by this trial are — 



1st. That harrow ing in the spring redticeil the 

 crop from 15 bushels and 23 qts., to 14 bushels 

 and 17 qts.; i.e. caused a loss of 1 bushel and 6 

 qts. per acre. 



2d. 9 bushels of bone gave an increase of 7 

 bushels and 9 ([ts. of rye per acre. 



3d. 16 bushels of bone gave an increase of 12 

 bushels and 4 qts. oer acre. 



4th. Theappliciiion of bone(9 bush.) in the 

 spring seems to have given an increase of 1 bush, 

 and 24 qts. p.erucre ; hut this giound was not har- 

 rowed in the spring, and it may be hut fair to as- 

 cribe one half the gain to this cause. 



The above trial was as fair as is often made. — 

 The soil of lots 1 and 2 was a little lower and a 

 little stronger than that of the other.s. This cau- 

 sed it to sufi^iir more in the winter from the frosts, 

 but gave it an advantage in the summer. 



Shoidd results generally he such as we have 

 here obtained, Mr. Ward's bone should find a 

 ready sale; for the cost tons at the mill is 35 

 cents; truckage, 20 miles, 6 cts. per bushel, and 

 cost of sowing 1 cent — whole cost 42 cts. per 

 bushel. Now each bushel of bone where we ap- 

 plied 9 bushels per acre gave an increase of grain 

 of 25 8-9 qts., and where we used 16 bushels, 

 each bushel gave as increase 24 1-4 qts. The in- 

 crease of straw amply pays for the increased ex- 

 pense of harvesting and threshing the larger crop, 

 so that it is i)roper to reckon the grain at the 

 market price in making up the account. If 3 

 pecks and more of rye can he obtained .-it 42 cts. 

 and the hone be left in the ground to benefit the 

 future crops, and we know it will work foi' four or 

 five years, then the fainier does well by such an 

 o|)eration. We honestly think that those who in- 

 tend to sow winter rye this ijdl upon light lands, 

 w ill find it a good operation to apply to ihem from 

 12 to 20 bushels of bone per acre. Oin- figures 

 lead to this opinion. 



ultural 



From the New Genesee Farmer. 

 Prospect of Prices of Western Agr 

 Products. 



As over-production and a reduction of the cur- 

 rency have reduced the price of most manufac- 

 tured commodities, and steam is now employed 

 on the i)rairies to drive the plough, it would" be 

 very strange if agriculiural products (pork ex- 

 cepted) did not also decline in price. The cash 



d for a bushi 



ol 



eat, will 



pur- 



chase in this village, 10 lbs. of good Rio coflTee. 

 or 20 lbs. of inferior N. O. Sugar. A pail of 

 butter will exchange lor a bundle of domestic 

 calico or muslin, as large in bulk as the butter it- 

 self (Juglit farmers to expect this unequal ex- 

 change of commodities to continue so much in 

 their iiivor always? I think not. 



Flour is now selling in New York at $6 the 

 barrel to export to Eiigland ; if Great Britain has 

 good crops this year, and there is no failure of 

 crop on the continent of Europe, nothing can 

 prevent very low prices for flour in New York in 

 one year from this time, but a failuie of our own 

 wheat crop, which is improb.ible, or a partial fail- 

 ure of oiu- summer crops, which, (lorn [iresent 

 appearances, is very possible. In either case 

 farmers tnustex[)ect and prepare themselves lor 

 small profits, as high prices from failure of crops 

 is a calamity, which compels even the farmer to 

 eat dear food. I: is common for farmers to com- 

 plain of the low price of wool, yet wool is much 

 lower in Europe than in the United States; the 

 English manutiicturer gets fine wool from the 

 continent for 25 cts. a pound, while our mami- 

 facturers pay our own farmers 40 cts. for wool of 

 like grade. The fact is, what is a low |)rice to 

 an extravagant, expensive man orfiimily, is a high 

 price to those whose wants are fevver,who practice 

 a better industry, economy, and self-denial ! In 

 this reduction of profiis and the consequent 

 means of expenditiue, who does not see a pre- 

 cious result, even to the farmer .' Ask a thriving, 

 wealthy Atnerican lord of the soil what are his 

 troubles; if he is honest, he will tell you it is the 

 effeminate habits and expensive wants of his 

 children. With iminterru|(ted pecuniary suc- 

 cess, where would the troubles end ? S, W. 



Waterloo, N. Y., 8th June, 1842. 



Horses and Mules 



Pigs 



From the Boston Daily Advertiser. 

 The last Monthly Chronicle contains a statisti- 

 cal account recently published, by which it ap- 

 pears that the agriculturalists of France pos^ess 

 the following number of animals: 

 Oxen and Cows 6,681,0C0 



Merino Sheep 766,310 



Common Sheep 30,845,852 



31,612,162 



1,656,000 

 3,900,162 



J.T^8£M*^2 



In Mr. McCulloch's statistics of the British 

 Empire, published in 1839, the numb -r of ,.xeu 

 and cows in Great Britain is estimated at 



5,220,000 

 Sheep and Lambs in England 26,148,463 



do do Scotland 3,500,000 



29,648,463 



Horses, probably including Mules 1,.500,000 



Pigs, the number now stated by 



McCulloch, but are estimated 



by another writer, including 



those of Ireland, at 18,000 000 



_54 308,463 



By the census of 1840 there were found in the 

 United States, 



Neat Cattle 14,971,586 



Sheep 19,:«1,394 



Horses and Mules 4,335,669 



Swine 26,301,298 



64,919,6-22 



Supposing the foregoing estimates of the num- 

 ber of those animals in Great Britain and France 

 to he correct, it follows that there are in the Uni- 

 ted States upwards of three millions of neat cat- 

 tle more than in both Great Britain and France 

 together. France has upwards of twelve mill- 

 ions of sheej), and Great Britain upwards of ten 

 i7iillions more than the United States. 



If to the number of horses in France used for 

 agricultm-al purposes be added, thrcfi hundred 

 and fprty-foiu- thousand, for the cavalry and other 

 uses, it gives for that kingdom a total of two 

 millions— these added to the fifteen hundred 

 thousand in Great Britain fall short of the num- 

 ber in the United States by more than eight hun- 

 dred and thirly-five thousand. The su iiie in the 

 United States exceed those of France, Great 

 Britain and Ireland together by about four mill- 

 ions four hundred thousand. 



Froni the above it will be seen, that with the 

 exception of sheep, there are many more of each 

 of the other animals in the United States than in 

 France and Greiit Britain together. Q. 



ToB.vcco.— The Editor of the Baltimore American, in 

 an al)stract of a document on the suhject of tobacco, 

 lately furnished Congress hy the Secretary of the Treasu- 

 ry, says, that from the year ISJl to IS W."inclusive, there 

 were exported from the United States, 1 ,792,000 hogs- 

 heads of tobicco, valued by the Treasury Department at 

 gl3I,316,5I-t; being an annual avora;je of 80,000 hoi.s- 

 heads of the value of ,g6,oG7,3i5. From the year ISSl'to 

 1839; inclusive, there were exported 708,1.77 pounds of 

 snuft', and 57,196,201 pounds of manufactured tobacco, 

 valued together at ^5,500,581. During the Hrst ten years 

 of the series, 18'21 to 1830, there were exported 824,24o 

 hogsheads of tobacco, valued at S.il),S8;).29I ; and durin" 

 the last ten years, 1830 to 1840, yG7,735 hogsheads, va|t 

 ned at ^74,-lo7.223. Kxcess in the last ten years over the 

 first ten years, 143,510 hhds., valued at gl7.oG7,1132. Av- 

 erage annual export in the first ten vearsi 82,124 hhds., 

 valued at g5,683,9:y ; during the second ten years, 96 - 

 775 hhds., valued at ^7.445.722. The average price dur- 

 ing the whole twenty years was jlTi 31 per liogsiiead.— 

 Host. Mer. Jour. 



Sublime Calcdlation. — The voice of a locust 

 can be lieai-d one eighth of a mile ; and it is cal- 

 culated that if a middling sized man had a voice 

 as strong in proportion to las weight, he could 

 be heard 2,776 miles. It is also calculated that 

 if a man was as nimble in proportion to his size 

 as a flea, he could hop more than 12.000 miles or 

 about as far from New York to Chiiui. Should 



ike to see 'cm go it." — 1m. Mechanic. 



Theory without practice, is wisdom to no ad- 

 vantage. What should we think of a man, who 

 would descant fipon the merits of a banquet 

 prcad before him, wiihout once tasting it? 



