290 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Dec. 



Notes for llie Month. 



It is a conceded point in both Christian and 

 Moral Philosophy, that man's mind is never 

 stationary — it must eitlier progress or retrogade 

 in knowledge and intelligence., Tiiat our rural 

 population are now in a state of intellectual 

 progress, the signs of the times sufficiently man- 

 ifest. 'Tis true there is no class so respectable 

 as that of the farmer — no class that contains 

 more individual specimens of wilful ignorance, 

 unrelenting prejudice, and hearty combative- 

 ness to all that belongs to agriculture as an art 

 dependent on chemical science, than may be 

 found among farmers themselves. But if habit- 

 ual prejudice and unbelief will not yield to well 

 established theory, it cannot always resist the 

 goodly fruits of practical example. Geo. Fox 

 said that "one true Quaker could shake the 

 country for fifty miles around." So can one 

 true farmer who has the root of the matter in 

 him — who has the science to know, the ability 

 to practice and give evidence of the truth he 

 has, by a masterly, practical, improved system 

 of manuring and tillage. As the plant growing 

 in the soil has a chemical power of dissolving 

 that inorganic maUer, vfhich resists the elements 

 of fire and water, — so can a practical, well read, 

 scientific farmer, by the force of his own prac- 

 tice and example, dissolve the most determined 

 unbelief in his brother farmer. 



It is to such men that modern agriculture is 

 indebted for its advancement from an art to a 

 science ; and it is to books, and to the agricultu- 

 ral papers of the day, that such men are indebted 

 for that theory which enables them to practice, 

 and keep pace with the scientific improvements 

 of the age, in relation to their great calling. 

 Let no man then, v/ho rejoices in the name of 

 Farmer, omit to begin the year by subscribing 

 for at least one agricultural paper. 'Tis true, 

 and pity 'tis, it is true, that not one farmer in 

 forty reads an agricultural journal ; yet there is 

 not one in forty who is not benefitted by the im- 

 proved theory of farming, as set forth in all our 

 agricultural papers. Like the infidel, who scoffs 

 at Christianity, he is very willing to avail him- 

 self of all the benefits of the christian morality, 

 and so are farmers of the benefits of science. 

 It is however pleasant to see of late the number; 

 of farmer subscribers to those blanket sheet 

 weeklies, which, to the news of the week, add 

 the accidents by flood and field, filling up with a 

 long story, which if it does hold up the " mirror 

 to Nature," Nature is rarely made vain by look- 

 ing into it. But far be it from me to condemn 

 the cheap newspaper literature of the day, for it 

 leads to reading, a requisite to be acquired, be- 

 fore practical or scientific truths can be relished, 

 or even tolerated in print — on the principle 

 that men "must be poetB before they are phi- 

 losophers." 



Blessed is the end of our presidential election- 

 Perhaps the greatest burlesque upon our demo- 

 cratic rule, is the farcical manner in which most 

 of our newspaper literature, and the colloquial 

 energies of the people, is employed in the presi- 

 dential contest, one year in every four. Truly 

 the war of political parties in these United 

 States, is only the less notorious as it is l8.ss 

 bloody than the wars of olden time, which were 

 carried on by the people for the sole benefit of 

 a family, or a man, a tulip, or a rose ! But the 

 contest over, our democratic circle will progress 

 and extend as usual ; a sovereign people will 

 carry out their dignity, the wealthy b}- external 

 show, the poor by aping that show to the best of 

 their pecuniary credit and ability, as though 

 show was all, and substance nothing ! The re- 

 sult is certain — hard times, bankruptcy, ruin — 

 then a reorganization of the v/recked materials ', 

 then the cry America is a great country — and 

 she is great. S. W. 



Gleanings from our Foreign Exchanges. 



Twelve-rowed Blood Red Wheat. — A 



new variety of wheat with this appellation has 

 lately been introduced in England. It produces 

 a head 6 inches long and 1 inch broad, and has 

 12 rows of kernels. It is very productive, 10 

 quarters, (80 bushels) all but one peck, have been 

 produced per acre. We shall probably be able to 

 learn whether it will suit our climate, £is 80 sacks 

 have come to this country, or is on its way here. 



The Cheltenham Black-skinned Barley. 

 — It is sown from October to February in Eng- 

 land, stands the winter well, is very productive, 

 and makes superior malt. It weighs 55 lbs. to 

 the bushel. When mixed with wheat flour it 

 makes a eood and sweet bread. It sells in that 

 country for $'5,25 per bushel for seed. 



A friend, in this vicinity, has a small quantity 

 sown, who in proper time will report progress. 



An extensive farmer in England, from the 

 wetness of his land in the spring, had fears that 

 he should not be able to get his Ruta Bngas in 

 e, rly enough ; he therefore sowed his seed in 

 beds, and at a proper time transplanted them in 

 drills in his fields. A little after midsummer 

 they showed a disposition to go to seed, and three 

 quarters of them threw up seed stems. He was 

 advised to cut them off, which he did with a 

 scythe, mowing the whole close to the turnep. 

 In a short time they sent out new leaves around 

 the old stem in great i)rofusion, and the roots in- 

 creased astonishingly. Indeed, so great was 

 the increase in size, that the owner had fears 

 that the exti-a bulk was water, and not nutritive 

 matter, and he had an analysis made by one of 

 the first chymists, which showed the merest 

 trifle difference in their constituents. 



This was a single trial and it was recom- 

 mended to be repeated. 



