1848. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



45 



Smut in Wheat 



Mr. Editor : — In your November number is 

 a communication from N. Simons, relative to 

 Smut in Wheat. I cordially agree with the 

 writer, in the importance of sowing clean seed. 



Four yeai^s ago we sowed cl^ean seed wheat, 

 ■ near the middle of October, after potatoes. 

 Some of it winter-killed ; that which was alive 

 jn the spring grew a very thick, strong straw, 

 with very long heads. But the rust struck it, 

 and it was shrunk and very smutty. 



My neighbor, Mr. Barney, told me early in 

 September, he would not sow his wheat until 

 October, if it was not fer smut. He said he 

 would rather have half a crop of good clean 

 wheat, than a full crop with three, bushels of 

 smut to the acre. 



Our experienced farmers here say that if 

 wheat is sown when the land is very wet the crop 

 will be quite smutty. Joseph Carpenter. 



Prairieville, Wis. Dec. 1847. 



The Orange Carrot. 



Messrs. Editors : — Herewith I enclose you 

 #5 for ten copies of your invaluable agricultural 

 paper ; and, for the benefit of those who grow 

 'the Orange Carrot, I send you a brief account 

 of my success in its cultivation. 



Finding the Carrot one of the most abundant 

 and nutritious, and therefore one of the most 

 profitable of the root crops, I have been accus- 

 tomed to cultivate a small plat, each year. The 

 last season I raised sixty bushels from a piece of 

 ground 36 by 48 — equal to about 15 or 1600 

 bushels per acre. About the 25th of May I 

 •sowed upon this highly cultivated plat, four 

 papers of Shaker Seeds in drills 16 or 18 inches 

 apart. Yours, &c., 



O. L. Barnum. 



Gouverneur, N. Y., Jan. 1, 1848. 



Antidote to Poisons. — Animal charcoal 

 (freshly prepared ivory black) is an antidote to 

 poisons, especially those belonging to the vegetable 

 kingdom. Thus strychnia and nux vomica, and 

 other poisons of this class, when taken mixed with 

 charcoal are perfectly harmless provided the char- 

 coal is administered in doses proportioned to the 

 <}uantity of the poison. Three or four grains of 

 strychnia are neutralized by 1 1-2 or 2 ounces of 

 charcoal. Even the effects of arsenic, are greatly 

 diminished by a speedy administration of char- 

 coal. Corrosive sublimate is more surely ren- 

 dered inert by white of eggs. Dogs, that have 

 been poisoned by nux vomica, may possibly be 

 cured by charcoal, though it is quite important 

 that it should be administered early, and in large 

 "doses, not less than 1 1-2 or 2 ounces. In the 

 absence of animal charcoal administer freely 

 fine fresh charcoal from the fire place. — Sel. 



Seneca Co. Agricultural Society. 



The Annual Winter Meeting of the Seneca 

 County Agricultural Society, was held at Water- 

 loo, on Tuesday, January 11th The officers 

 of the ensuing year were elected to wit: 



President — John De la field. 



Treasurer — John D. Coe. 



Secretary — Wm. R. Schuyler. 



Vice Presidents — John L. Bigelow, Junius ; 

 Jason Smith, Tyre ; Charles E. Mynderse, Sen- 

 eca Falls ; Svlvester L. Stringham, Fayette ; 

 Edward I. Judd, Varick ; Thomas* J. Folwell, 

 Romulus 5 Andrew Dunlap, Jr., Ovid ; Wm. 

 F. Coan, Lodi ; John Canada, Covert ; R. P. 

 Hunt, Waterloo. 



Delegates were appointed to visit the autum- 

 nal fairs of the adjoining counties — Ontario 

 Yates, Tompkins, Cayuga and Wayne-^with a 

 view to examine and report every improvement 

 that may be deemed useful to the farming inter- 

 ests of this county. 



A resolution was unanimously passed solicit- 

 ing the attention of the Legislature to the care 

 and protection of the Agricultural Associations 

 of the State, as the most sure and important 

 source of our national wealth and prosperity. 



Notwithstanding the severity of the weather 

 the meeting was well -attended, members being 

 present from the extreme points of the co\mty. 



Interesting discussions took place, more es- 

 pecially upon the subject of Draining. The 

 vast importance and laj-^e benefits of draining 

 were pointed out, and seemed to have been ex- 

 tensively tested by several members present. — 

 The introduction of tile drains occupied the at- 

 tention of the Society, and measures were sug- 

 gested for an economical production of tiles of 

 various patterns. 



Among other matters it appeared that n-any 

 members then present had raised heretofore forty 

 bushels of wheat to the acre, and even more, and 

 from the better attention now paid to the cultiva- 

 tion of the soil, with the intended introduction of 

 the drains, great confidence was expressed in the 

 future products being restored to the point 

 heretofore attained. — Seneca Observer. 



Great Improvement in Fence Making. — 

 Take any kind of timber for stakes that will 

 make good rails, (black ash is best.) Get out 

 your stakes 7 feet long — lay up the fence 4 rails 

 high — place the caps across the corners so that 

 each pair of stakes will be on the same side of 

 the fence with the large end up. Then squeeze 

 in 3 or 4 rails to each length, and place a flat 

 stone under each stake to keep it from the 

 ground; and if your rails, caps and stakes are 

 as strong as they should be, you may sleep 

 soundly without fear of horses or cattle visiting 

 your crops. S, H- 



Batavia, Jan. 1^ 1847. 



