1850. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



35 



do their hogs, sheep, cattle and horses — ^jiist what 

 they need to meet the wants of nature, and no more 

 to he wasted. 



QcESTioN 3il. — " Is the annual application of gypsum to 

 the same meadow, pasture or grain, prejudicial to the soil, 

 in the way of exhaustion ?" 



Answer. — It is not. If, however, the farmer is 

 so unwise as to restore nothing in payment for the 

 grass eaton by domestic animals, which per chance, 

 daily go out of the pasture with full stomachs at night, 

 and return with empty ones in the morning, as dairy 

 cows often do; and he makes no restitution for the 

 hay, grain and potatoes removed, then, of course, his 

 land will grow poor, and poorer, and perhaps a little 

 faster, by harvesting large, instead of small crops. 

 Nevertheless, we seriously question the fact, whether 

 a large crop impairs fertility more than a small one. 

 On this point we have several highly interesting 

 experiments in progress. If any reader sees, or thinks 

 he sees, a material defect in our theory in reference 

 to the beneficial operations of plaster, he will confer 

 a favor by pointing it out. 



TO DESTROY CANADA THISTLES. 



Messrs. Editors : — In your number for January, I 

 see a letter requesting information relative to some 

 practical mode of meeting the inroads of the Canada 

 Thistle. This wide spread, noxious weed, is indeed 

 alarming, though not necessarily so, except to the 

 careless or inattentive cultivator, unless in stony and 

 wet localities, unfit for, and preventing the free use 

 of the plow. It cannot have escaped the notice of 

 many of your readers, and probably you have once 

 and again published the fact, that good wheat lands 

 can be completely reclaimed from the dominion of the 

 most inveterate growth of thistles by the simple 

 process of a. free and timely use of the plow. I am 

 aware that many may say they have tried this rem- 

 edy and found it to fail. To this remark I have only 

 to say, that when thoroughly and fairly tried I never 

 knew it to fail of so far succeeding as to leave 

 scarce a thistle high enough at harvest to come within 

 cut of the cradle ; and that too, on fields completely 

 covered with them before fallowing. This, however, 

 applies particularly to old lands, where stumps, stones, 

 fcc, have been removed so as to present no obstacle 

 to stirring the whole soil. But the desirable object 

 of preventing the unsightly appearance in many har- 

 vest fields of rods, quarters, and half-acres of thistles 

 left standing, or, cut only to open a passage to the 

 laborers, can not be effected by the mere process of 

 " breaking up," however well that may be performed. 

 The determined resolution must be perseveringly 

 carried out to put in the plow as soon as the thistles 

 show a green surface, and this must be repeated to 

 the third or fourth time, if necessary, previous to 

 seeding, and if the season or time of plowing be hot 

 and dry, so much the better. No one will understand 

 that by this process a farm is to be cleared, root and 

 branch, of this vile weed, in a single season, if indeed 

 it be possible in a life-time, as the fields of the most 

 careful farmer may be furnished from that of his 

 adjoining neighbor with seed for a perpetual succes- 

 sion. It is merely intended to show the result of 

 actual experience in some of the hardest cases in 

 which good wheat has been raised without trouble 

 from thistles. J. L. — East Lansing, Tomp. Co., 

 JV. ¥., Jan'y, 1850. 



STOCK IN GENESEE OOUNTT. 

 BY E. 8. BUCK. 



Editors Genesee Farmer. — I have just taken a trip 

 for the purpose of .seeing some fine cattle. Mr. 

 Hicox, in Alexander, N. Y., has excellent cattle; he 

 is much noted for matching and breaking steers, of 

 which he has a number of yokes of different ages, all 

 very good: one pair particularly, of two years old, 

 handsome beyond discription. 



I then went to see Mr. BR,MNARn's stock, in Attica 

 N. Y., he has a large stock of Durham.s, all in high 

 order, and it would well reward any man to go and 

 see them. He was not at home, but I could see 

 much skill and intelligence in the management of 

 every thing about him. 



I then went to see Mr. Beck's stock, in Sheldon, 

 he was well pleased to show them, and well he might 

 be. On going through liis barn he opened the door 

 which brought the cattle at once to view; and a more 

 interesting sight I never saw. There were two largo 

 yards full of Devons, mostly pure blood; the older 

 and the younger ones being kept separate, with a 

 trough of pure running water in the middle. It was 

 early in the morning; they had all been properly fed, 

 and to see them play, was enough to make the heart re- 

 joice. I saw other stocks of cattle which did credit 

 to their owners. 



On the other hand there are many Farmers whose 

 cattle are half fed, and of all shapes and colors that 

 can bethought of. Not having seen any better they 

 suppose their own are excellent, or at least ffoo'd 

 enough, and have no thought of improving them. 

 Such men should take some agricultural paper and 

 they could learn to improve by the experience of 

 others; they should go and see the stock of an intelli- 

 gent reading Farmer, and learn the management of 

 them; if so, we should have some fine cattle in almost 

 every neighborhood, or at least in every town, which 

 would bo an invaluable benefit, not only to the owner, 

 but to the commuuity at large. 



HEMLOCK SOIL. 



Messrs. Editors : — I notice in one of your papers 

 an article on Hemlock Soil. I live in the town of 

 Decatur, Otsego Co., and on hemlock soil, on a small 

 farm of about 40 acres. For a few years past I have 

 plowed some 3 or 4 acres of sod about the first of July, 

 and let it lay until the last of August, and then thrown 

 a light coat of manure over it. dragged it, and then 

 sown my seed. In this way I have raised large crops 

 of rye, much larger than those who plow two or 

 three times. I think the more such land is plowed 

 the more it freezes and thins out. Perhaps my 

 experience may be of benefit to some. Hamilton 

 Waterman. — Decatur, Jan., 1850. 



Simple Remedy. — The following simple application 

 for a horse's feet which are brittle, or hoof-bound, I 

 learned from an English shoer, and having tried it 

 with good effect and never having seen it fail, I send 

 it to you to be used as you may deem proper. 



Mix equal parts of tar and some soft grease, and 

 having the foot clean and dry, apply it hot, but not 

 boiling, to all parts, letting it run under the shoe as 

 much as possible. 



In bad cases the application should be made every 

 day, for a while, and then two or three times a week, 

 till the foot becomes strong and smooth. Utilita- 

 rian.— .^//rerf, Atleg. Co., .TV. Y., Jaji'y, 1850. 



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