76 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Mah. 



(gbitor's Sable. 



S 



Correspondents must not be discouraged because their 

 coniimmirations nre not published as soon as received. We 

 have quite a numl)er reserved lor future pubUcation. Seve- 

 ral answers lo Correspondents are also deferred. 



Agriccltural Books for School Libraries. — We 

 ha\e been requested to call the attention of Trustees to the 

 propriety of pnruhasing Agricultural Books for .School Li- 

 braries. Vve think the bare mention of the matter will suf- 

 fice. Wo will not insult the intelligence of Trustees who 

 are Farmers, by attempting to show the propriety of this 

 course, or urge upon them the performance of this duty. 

 We have a good assortment of Agrirnltural Books for sale 

 at our office — the best works published. In our next num- 

 ber we will give a full list, with prices. 



Mekino Sheep. — We had the pleasure of examining a 

 fine lot of Merino Sheep, on their way from Vermont to 

 Chauliiuque County, in this State. They were owned by 

 A. S. Patterson, of Terry Center, Wyoming Co., and J. 

 D. Patterson, of Westfield, Cliaulauque Co. They were 

 selected from the flocks of Edwin and William Hammond. 

 of Middlebury, and Jesse Hinds, of Brandon, Vt. 



MoNKoE County Agricultural Society. — A meeting 

 of the Executive Committee of this Society will be held at 

 the Ofiice of the Genesee Farmer, on Wednesday, the L3th 

 of March, at 11 o'clock A. M. The President requests us 

 10 ask a general attendance of the Committee. 



Stockbriuge Mechanical and Agricultural Associa- 

 tion. — We have received the proceedings of a meeting 

 Jield utStocUbridge, Madison co., N. Y., for the formation of 

 en Association with the above title, with the Constitution, 

 and Officers elected. The object of the Association is " the 

 mutual improvement of its members in their oeoupalions.'' 

 John PoTTEK, Esq., is the President of the Association, 

 May success attend so worthy an enterprise. 



KoWLs. — Those who have addressed inquirif.s to us on 

 the subject, are informed that we have taken measures to 

 supply all who wish, with the improved breeds of fowls. 



Horticultural Society. — At the annual meeting of the 

 llorticuUurcd Society of the Valley of the Gmesee. held in 

 the city of Rochester, Feb. 4, 1850, the following gentlemen 

 were elected officers of the Society for tlio ensuing year . 



Presidmt — Levi A. Ward, of Rochester. 



Vice Prests — l. Samuel Miller, 2. Mathew G.War- 

 ner, of Rochester; 3. Henry P. Norton, Rrockport ; 

 4. J. J. Thomas, Macedon ; 5. Asa Roue, Sweden. 



Cnrrespoitding Secretary — Dellon M. Devvey. 



Ri'cording Secretary — Joseph A. Eastman. 



Tr^asurer — James H. Watts. 



Committees: On Fruits — Patrick Barry, Malhew G. 

 Warner. J.^. Bissell, Samuel Moulson, Samuel Miller, 

 James Buchan. John J. Thomas, James C. Campbell, Flias 

 Pond. Isaac Hills, W. R. Smith, and Lyman B. Langworthy. 



On Trees. Shrubs and Flowers — Geo. Ellwanger, diaries 

 J. Ryan, Francis Brown, jr., D. W. Powers, William King. 

 and Henry Billings, 



On Vegetables — James P. Fogg, Jason W. Seward. John 

 Rapiilje. James Vick. Jr., and Samuel B. Dewey. 



On Butany — Leander Wctherell, Chester P. Dewey, 

 Geo. H. Sraitli, J. W. Seward, and J. M. Whitney. 



Oh Entonivlogy — Ctiester Dewey. 



Executive Covimittee — Levi A. Ward. Samuel Miller, 

 Patrick Barry, Geo. Ellwanger, James P. Fogg. L. Wether- 

 ell, and Chester Dewey. 



We are happy lo be able to add, that the Soriety is in a 

 hopeful situation, and that mensurea have been adopted to 

 extend its influence artd usefulness during the ensuing year. 



J. W. Seward, Esq., on active member and supporter of 

 tlie Society, and a very skillful and successful nrnnlrnr 

 Mnrliculluri.'*!. has been appointed a commiitci- to polirit a 

 more general co-operation of our citizens \\'\\\\ the Soriely, 

 ii) oriler that it may the more etfectunlly carry out its future 

 plans ot Uhefuliu'ss. It is contemplated to ha\c weekly or 

 monlhly exhibitions, during the ensuing season. 



DESTUUCTIOJi OF CANADA THISTLES. 



\\*e have now before us about twenty communications 

 from Farmers, giving their experience in subduing the Can- 

 ada TliisLle. All can see the impossibility of publishing 

 them entire in our limited space ; and also, the improprietv-^ 

 of doing so, even if we had room, as the practice of many 

 perfectly agree — consequently the publication of these 

 communicaiions would be " a twice told tale.'* 



Charles Hanforu, of Alabama, N. Y., has cleared his 

 farm of lUO acres entirely of thistles. He gives his plan : 



" I plowed the patches of thistles in July one week, 

 dragged the ground in another week, plow-ed it ag-^-in. end 

 so on, three times. The next year, made a summer-li.IIow 

 and plowed through those patches, and after sowin^^ the 

 wheat a few thistles came up. I had a chissel with a han- 

 dle two feet long, and dug up every root that was seen. In 

 the spring, the wheat Deing five or six inches high, chis.^eltd 

 out all that was seen. After harvest, I also chisveird oni 

 some near stumps and stones, that the plow missed ; and 

 next year the land was clover pastured, so that when I 

 salted my cows, if any I could not get at with my chi^sol, 

 I put on salt. Next year 1 drew olV the stone, dug up ihft 

 slumps, and sowed it to wheat. A very few thistles I 

 cliisseled out, and for seven or eight years have nut seen 

 one ; and have done so with every field on my farm. 1 am 

 now clear of all bad weeds.'' 

 S. H. Swetland, of Clifton Park, Saratoga Co., N. V. : 



'• In the summer of 1848. I summer-falTowed one half of 

 a lot that had become badly infested with this troublesome 

 and obnoxious weed. The other half of the lot was sown 

 to oats. 'J'he summer-fallow was plowed in the early part 

 of June, and then again about the middle of July. In the 

 fore part of September the whole lot was plowed and sown 

 with rye. When the rye was harvested, the oat prouuj 

 was unusually full of thistles, and on the fallow scarcely a 

 thistle was to be found. The ground was ordinarily dry 

 when plowed, and the thistles of a rank growth. This 

 may operate so again on other pieces, and it may not. Sum- 

 mer-fallowing is the only way of success from plowing." 

 Alvin Wilcox, of West Bloomfleld, N. Y. : 



'* My first eflbrt was with a good sized patch. I dug 

 small holes where every spear stood, and filled them wi;!i 

 fish brine. The next spring they came up as vigorously v.'^ 

 ever. I then look boards and spread all over them, anil 

 battened the cracks with another tier, putting on stone end 

 rails lo keep them down. The thistles kept growing, under 

 the boards, and working through every crevice they could 

 find ; but I kept them under. In July ihey all tnrncil black, 

 and there has been no Canada thistle there since. Havinij 

 succeeded with them, I have adopted the following plan 

 .'ince. In the spring, when they are a few inches higii, I 

 lakc^a stone and pound every thistle dov\n, and l:iy n stone 

 on it. F.vcry week or two, I examine them and keep every 

 spear covered up. If the work is done thoroughly. I liavfl 

 never had it fail to destroy them by the middle of AtiL'ust.'' 

 Moses C. Crapsey, of Lockport. N. Y.: 



** The way lo kill Canada thistles is by plowing and dig- 

 gmg. There ia no mistake about this. I have tried it more 

 than once. It only needs to be well done." 

 M. R, Vincent, Half Moon, Sarntoga Co., N. Y.: 



'• Take a field of green.«ward, full of Canada thistles, an;l 

 plow it thoroughly onee a month, from May or June untd 

 August, choosing the wettest lime for the operation. I 

 have tried this with good success, and my neighbors al^o. 

 If the plowing is done well it is sure death to every one of 

 them." 

 Wm. Parsons, Jr., Millville, Orleans co.. N. Y.: 



" I had nearly an acre of thistles, which had been spread- 

 ing f(tr a number of years. About fiiur years ago I resolved 

 lo try an experiment, to pulnlue them. I planted the field 

 lo corn. When the corn was up big enough to hue. the 

 thistlrs also were up aa high as the corn. I hoed them well, 

 and from that time, once a week, went through them vvith 

 ihe hoe, taking pains lo destroy every thistle above ground. 

 When the corn was fit to <y.\\ up, we had a heavy crop of 

 corn, and not a thistle lo be seen. I have since tried the 

 anie process, with equal success." 



We shnll give furth'f extracts from letters on this subject 

 n our next. 



Improved Stock. — A communication *ro 

 of New York, in reply to S. P. Ch vpman, i 

 next month. 



A.Stevk 



