1847 



GENESEE FARMER. 



259 



provement of the soils is worthy the close atten- 

 tion of the practical farmer. 



The whole work is amply illustrated by draw- 

 ings and sections. Some of the plates are beau- 

 tiful, especially the large ones illustrating the 

 scenery of the different Districts. A large ag- 

 ricultural map adorns the volume. On the whole, 

 the Professor is deserving the thanks of the pub- 

 lic for his work ; and, which would the more 

 readily and abundantly be yielded him, a rich 

 harvest, if it only could be published in such a 

 form as the great public could get hold of it — - 

 The Legislature could not do a better deed for 

 the farmers of the land, than to direct Professor 

 E. to publish an octavo edition, abridged some- 

 what, and also more popular, and place a copy 

 in each school district library, and have a supply 

 for all the farmers and others who might wish to 

 add it to their libraries. R. P. Stevens. 



Ontario Co., N. Y., Sept., 1847. 



Wheat Crops increased by Amoniacal 

 Manures. — On a space of ground cultivated in 

 1843, by Mr. J. B. Lawes, of Rothamsted, Eng- 

 land, which had not been manured, the yield per 

 acre was 16| bushels of wheat, and 1,116 lbs. of 

 straw. This may be considered as the natural 

 produce of the soil, subject only to the atmos- 

 pheric influence of that particular season. The 

 same space of ground was cultivated and ma- 

 nured for three consecutive years, with the fol- 

 lowing results : — 



In 1844, the application of 560 lbs. of burnt 

 bones and 220 lbs. of silicate of potash, pro- 

 duced 16 bushels of wheat and 1,112 lbs. of straw. 



In 1845, Ih cwt. each, of sulphate and muri- 

 ate of ammonia, produced Sli bushels of wheat 

 and 4,226 lbs. of straw. 



In 1846, 2 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia yield- 

 ed '21i bushels of wheat and 2,244 lbs. of straw. 



In another experiment, a quantity of farm- 

 yard manure was weighed into two portions, at 

 the rate of 14 tons each per acre, one being 

 burnt to ashes, and the other plowed into the 

 soil; the product of the unburnt dung was 22 

 bushels of wheat and 1,476 lbs. of straw ; and 

 that of the ash, 16 bushels of wheat and 1,104 

 lbs. of straw. 



Hence the absolute necessity of supplying ni- 

 trogen (the essential part of ammonia,) to ena- 

 ble the soil to produce more wheat than it could 

 do in a natural state. — Am, Agriculturist. 



Extracts from the Farmers' Creed. — We 

 believe in small farms and thorough cultivation. 



We believe in large crops which leave the 

 land better than they found it. 



We believe in going to the bottom of things, 

 and therefore in deep plowing. 



We believe that the best fertility of the soil is 

 thespirit of industry, enterprise, and intelligence; 

 without this, lime, marl, plaster, bones, and green 

 manures will be of little use. — lb. 



Potato Kot. 



Last year, in consequence of the dryness of 

 the season, my potatoes ripened in August, and 

 were dug and deposited in the cellar by the 1st of 

 September. I found a few rotten ones at the 

 time of digging, and a very few of them rotted 

 afterwards. The weather was dry when they 

 were dug, and they were kept dry in the cellar. 

 The present season I planted the same spot of 

 ground, and chiefly with the same kind of pota- 

 toes. Last year I spread ashes over a part of 

 the ground before plowing, and put ashes in the 

 hill at the time of planting the other part. This 

 year I neither used ashes nor any other kind of 

 manure. Owing to ths early summer rains, the 

 potatoes did not ripen this season till in Septem- 

 ber, and in consequence of wet weather and a 

 multiplicity of business, although I commenced 

 digging about the middle of September, I did 

 not finish till this day, (Oct. 15th.) In the first 

 that I dug I scarcely found a single rotten tuber. 

 When about half done, I found several, and to- 

 wards the close, still more. The different kinds 

 of potatoes planted were. Mercers, Merinoes, 

 Long Pink Eyes, and Early June potatoes. In 

 regard to the several kinds, I think I have ob- 

 served the following particulars : viz. 



Isl. That the Mercers seem most affected by 

 the rot, the Pink Eyes next, the Merinos next, 

 and the June potatoes least, or none at all. 



2d. That the rot was evidently aggravated by 

 the wet, the potatoes being left too long in the y 

 ground after being ripe, and the rains being fre- *• 

 quent. 



3d. That those tubers that lay nearest the sur- 

 face were oftener aflfected than those below. — 

 This I suppose to have been caused by the great- 

 er influence of the wet and cold upon them, in 

 consequence of their great exposure. 



If you think the above of any value, Mr. Ed- 

 itor, it is at your disposal. H. 



Fairport, Oct. 15th, 1847. 



War on the Cotton Worm. — The Wood- 

 ville (Miss.,) Republican records a very inter- 

 esting circumstance in what follows. After say- 

 ing, " We hear little or no complaint of the 

 worm at present," that paper of a recent date, 

 adds — " A little fly, called by some the ' ichneu- 

 mon,' in consequence of similarity between its 

 habits and those of the Egyptian animal, seems 

 to have taken the worm and crysalis in hand, and 

 devoured nearly all of them. This they do, we 

 are told, by boring into the shell or crysalis and 

 eating its contents. Myriads of the crysalis may 

 be found in the cotton fields thus conditioned, 

 and had it not been for this fact our cotton fields 

 would doubtless have been destroyed before now. 

 What a wise order of Providence, and what an 

 impressive example of a trust in his dispensa- 

 tion!" 



