218 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Sept. 



Notes of the Past Month. 



BY S. W. OF SENECA COUNTY. 



It is generally admitted that this is one of 

 the most fruitful seasons ever known in this sec- 

 tion of the country. Such has been the happy 

 union of heat and moisture, that wheat and 

 every summer crop have matured with unusual 

 rapidity ; even the lazy man's corn, thanks to 

 the season, has overcome all slovenly, neglected 

 tillage. Such crops of Indian corn and oats 

 were never seen before in Seneca County. 



Great improvements in the tillage of corn 

 has taken place within the last three years. The 

 steel cultivator, and the steel edged shovel plow, 

 have contributed much to this result. A farmer 

 told me yesterday that the actual cost of his 

 last year's crop was but 9^ cents the bushel, in- 

 terest of money on the lots included. The 

 wheat crop is unusually large in the straw, and 

 yields abundantly at the threshing. I know 

 one farmer who has this week sold 600 bushels, 

 the product of a field of 18 acres. Thirty bush- 

 els to the acre is a very common yield this season. 



Wheat now comes in freely at -S'l per bushel ; 

 onestorehouse here takes in on the average 1000 

 bushels a day. New barley has begun to come 

 to market — price 44 cents per bushel of 48 lbs. 

 Old corn is quick at 50 cents. The introduction 

 of Indian corn into England and Ireland during 

 a state of famine, has had the effect to make 

 known there for the first lime, the true value of 

 that grain as food for man and beast ; hence it 

 is at this time in more demand in the English 

 market than any other imported grain. Under 

 the present low duty, the importation of Indian 

 corn into the United Kingdom must continue to 

 increase, giving great encouragement to the 

 corn grower here. 



Wool is now the only staple that does not re 

 munerate the producer. The great advantage 

 of keeping sheep as farm stock, on a wheat 

 growing farm has doubtless added to a surplus 

 production of wool in this region ; but previous 

 high prices, has given the main impetus to wool 

 growing. Our woolen manufactures have been 

 in a prosperous condition, until within a year ; 

 increased machinery and over-production have 

 reduced prices so ruinously low to the manufac- 

 turer, that he is unable to pay any longer even 

 a fair price for wool. The depressed state of 

 the woolen market at home, induced some of our 

 eastern manufacturers this s[Ming to make a 

 shipment of sattinets and coarse woolens to 

 England. The New York Dry Goods Reporter 

 says that the adventure proved to be unprofitable, 

 but that it had the effect to secure to our manu- 

 facturers hereafter the uninterrupted supply of 

 our own home market for common woolens. 



At the post office here on the 15th of August 

 I noticed a pile of Genesee Farmers, which had 

 lain there from two weeks to a month or more : 



looking at the superscriptions, I noticed that 

 they were all farmer subscribers — thinks I to 

 myself these men must read very little. Au 

 contraire, I know a farmer who has paid over 

 $300 for a private library, and who takes both 

 the Genesee Farmer and Albany Cultivator. In 

 proof that he is something more than a theoreti- 

 cal book farmer, he sold the surplus products of 

 his farm lastyear for over JriHOO, and he paid out 

 of the same but $90 for hired help — he has no 

 children old enough to work in the field. This 

 man is of Scotch parentage ; it is hardly neces- 

 sary to say that he is fully up to the improve- 

 ments and intelligence of the age. 



The potato rot in this County is quite as fully 

 developed this year as it was last — the vines are 

 dying before the crop is ripe. 



The arrival of the Arcadia yesterday at Bos- 

 ton, brings the usual intelligence so rife every 

 year just before the English harvest, to wit, 

 " wet weather," " damaged crops," and an ad- 

 vance in the prices of bread-stuffs. Four times 

 out of five every miller or speculator who has 

 helped advance the price of vvheat on this side 

 of the Atlantic, from such advices, has paid 

 dearly for his credulity. S. W. 



Waterloo, N. Y., 'Aug. 1848. 



Fat Cattle.— Mr. Ayrault's Twin Steers. 



[From Transactions of the N. Y. State Ag. Society.] 



The Twin Steers, of which an account is 

 annexed, were fattened by Hon. A. Ayrault, 

 of Geneseo, Livingston County, and were ex- 

 hibited in this city last winter for a few days. 

 When on their way to New York, they were 

 considered by those who saw them here, as the 

 best pair ot fat cattle ever shown in this city. 

 One of the animals was pronounced by the 

 butchers , and others, who are good judges, as 

 the most perfect fat animal they had ever seen, 

 and this animal when killed, fully justified we 

 are told, the opinion expressed, in the quality of 

 his meat, which was very superior. 



They were slaughtered in New York by Mr. 

 B. Lawrence, of the Centre Market. Their 

 live weight was 5,522 lbs. — their dressed weight 

 —quarters 3,450— tallow 512— hides 214=4376 

 lbs. It will be seen by the description annexed, 

 that they were three fourths Short Horn — and 

 they exhibited most favorably the distinguished 

 characteristics of the improved breed, in laying 

 on flesh rapidly and on the most valuable parts, 

 and satisfied all of the great value of this breed 

 for fattening purposes. The artist has given a 

 very good likeness of the animals as they ap- 

 peared when in this city. 



Congress Hall, Albany, 12th April, 1848. 



B. P. Johnson, Esq., Sec'y State Ag. See. 



At the request of the Executive Committee, I transmit 

 to you some particulars in reference to the cattle mentioned 

 by you, 



