1850. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



253 



perfectly, I roasted and ate the corn of one of t!ie ears. 

 It had not the least flavor of the sweet corn. If 

 there had been imprcgration by the pollen, (which 

 I verily believe to have been impossible,) I cannot 

 conceive how it could possibly have been so perfect 

 and complete, as totally to change every grain of 

 both ears on the emaller stock ; and that, too, to a 

 variety which was not raised in the neighborhood, if 

 at all in tlie country. And what renders the case 

 more extraordinary, if impregration was the cause of 

 the change, was, that the one ear of the larger stalk 

 had a regular full sized husk for every grain, formed 

 or unformed. It may, perhaps, be supposed that by 

 some accident another grain had got there, and grew 

 up, the one which I planted having failed to grow, 

 fee. But I put a stake by the side of each grain 

 when I planted them : they each grew up by the side 

 of their respective stakes : the stalks appeared alike, 

 excepting that one was somewhat larger than the 

 other ; no other corn grew up within six rods of the 

 two stalks upon which I experimented ; and the whole 

 affair was carefully conducted for the express purpose 

 of trying an experiment. I am perfectly satisfied 

 that no such, nor any other accident liappened, by 

 which I was deceived in regard to this matter. I am 

 also satisfied that the grains which I planted, grew ; 

 and that one of them, without impregration, by the 

 pollen of any other variety, produced metamorphosed 

 (transmuted 1) corn, every grain being entirely dif- 

 ferent from the seed, and difl'erent from any corn 

 grown in the neighborhood. How nature managed 

 the matter, I can not understand. J. H. H. 



HOW TO VTT.J. ELDERS, AND IMPROVE THE FARM. 



JIkssrs. Editors: — In looking over the Genesee 

 Farmer of 7th month last, I saw a request that some 

 of its many readers would furnish a plan by which 

 elders might be killed. These bushes are a pest to 

 the farmer ; and in thinking about it, I have hit on 

 a plan that will destroy them, and make a second 

 rate farm in a few years yield twice the quantity of 

 produce it does at present, which will be something. 

 Well, the first thing to do, is to make a reservoir 

 where the wash runs out of the barn-yard. Make 

 it as near the yard as possible, and as large or larger 

 than the yard. "Well !'' says one, "what has this 

 to do with killing elders'!" "O!" says another, "I 

 see what he is at — he is going to fill this ponJ with 

 water and then throw a pinch of Homeopathic medi- 

 cine in it, and sprinkle it on the elders, and kill them 

 with doctor-stuff." Well, now, I am going to do no 

 such thing ; but we will put something in it better 

 than doctor-stuff. I will not say what that is just 

 now, but I will by and by, when it comes in course. 

 The next thing to do, where there are elders growing 

 along a fence, (for they mostly grow there,) is to cut 

 them close to the ground ; then take away the fence, 

 trunnels and all, and put it up clear of the old bed ; 

 then throw the tops over to one side, and take a good 

 plow with a sharp share and cutter, and turn up 

 the roots ; then harrow it four or five times with a 

 heavy harrow having long sharp teeth. This will 

 bring most of the roots to the surface. Let them 

 lay in the sun on<. week ; then heap the elder tops 

 on the bed and set fire to them. When they are 

 fairly ignited, throw on the roots. This will burn 

 them up root and branch ; and instead of having 

 rank, green elder, we will have a fertilizer in the 

 form of ashes. Repeat this process once a week for 



four weeks, and by that time the bed will be in a 

 nice state for the shovel. 



Now for the Reservoir. Take a cart and haul 

 it full from this bed, then level down with a plow, 

 leaving the clear-up furrow in the middle. This will 

 leave a convenient ditch to take the wash of the next 

 rain, after which plow it again. Turn the ridge this 

 time in the middle, and gather-in. This will throw 

 the wash of the next rain to the sides. Plow it 

 alternately in this way once after every heavy rain, 

 and by seed-time it will be ready to haul out fur 

 wheat. Spread on after the last plowing, and har- 

 row it in with the wheat. 



I have found that a load of this compost will make 

 as much wheat grow as a load of barn-yard manure 

 of equal bulk. Now, instead of manuring one field 

 for wheat, the farmer can manure two, and raise 

 double the quantity he formerly did. This reservoir 

 is the farmer's friend. Do not let it lay long idle ; 

 but after it is emptied for wheat, fill it again for 

 corn, from the remainder of the old bed, and work it 

 as the first. Let it lay during the winter, and the 

 next spring, at planting time, when the corn is 

 dropped, cover each hill with a shovel full of this 

 compost. It will cause it to come up rank and 

 green, and grow right up from the start, so that the 

 worms will not like it ; and in a good season, even 

 on thin land, it will average forty bushels per acre ; 

 whereas, in planting in the old way, there will be 

 but ten or fifteen bushels. There are twenty-five 

 bushels of corn for every acre, to pay for the labor, 

 besides enriching the soil for succeeding crops. — 

 "Well,'" say half a dozen at once, "but this is too 

 much trouble ; I am weak handed, and my farm pro- 

 duces light crops : therefore 1 cannot afford to hire. 

 I can't do it." Stop, my brave, hearty young farmers, 

 don't say "can't" — that word should not be s;;iiken 

 here. It is true that here is a difficulty to start 

 with : but something can be done, for you as well as 

 for the rest. Follow out my plan, from beginning 

 to end, and then your reservoirs will soon be full 

 without paying one dollar, or missing the time either. 

 Rise in the morning as soon as the first ray of light 

 shoots up from the eastern horizon, and go at it and 

 work until sunrise ; then you can go at your other 

 work. By following this practice regularly, you will 

 have this work completed, and have as much time to 

 do your other work as the man has who indulges 

 himself in lying a-bed till sunrise. There are so 

 many advantages that would arise from this plan, 

 that space will not admit of even naming them all 

 here. I will only mention one or two, viz : It will 

 enable the farmer " to plow in hope," and learn him to 

 "plow deep while sluggard sleep ;" and by the time 

 he gets all of his fence rows cleared out in this 

 way, if his farm, with good culture, does not yield 

 double tlie produce it did before he commenced, I will 

 give him leave to set me down for a 



Green Farmer. 



Information Wanted. — I should like to have 

 some person who is familiar with the rise and pro- 

 gress of Durham and Devon cattle, publish the pedi- 

 gree descent in your columns, and oblige, J. II. 

 SwETLAND. — Saratoga Co., Sept., 1850. 



Even the scanty display of blossoms in a window, 

 or the careful training of a honeysuckle around a 

 cottage door, is an unmistakable evidence of gentle 

 spirits and an improved humanity within 



I 



