278 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



I 



SNAPDRAGON. 



MMsr.-. r.DiTons : — It =s now gi.jng on two years since I 

 firil s^!)'^Ciihel! fur your vfiluiililr! paper, and seeing yon man- 

 rf."i-L willin'^ness to answer qucslionp, fveninro loaska few. 

 Th"ro are a few spots on my &rra covered witli a weed 

 wiiicli 13 .-alleil', in this part of the country, Snapdragon.— 

 Some people have it in their garden for a flower. It has a 

 y.-llovv hlo?3oiii, ami a rery bad smell. I can content my- 

 self nr) lun-'.T to have it grow, if there is any way in which 

 it can he killed. 1 have endeavored todeslroy it in several 

 wMV.i. !f yoi can give me any information concerning this 

 wccdv h•^w, and at Cvlrnt lime of the year to destroy it, you 

 « ill much iM'ige a Faithfitl Rk.vder.— /fo// Jlfoon. Sar- 

 at„j;a Co., N. Y., Oct., 1850. 



If any of our readers can give the desired infor- 

 matinn, wo hope they will do so. The small yellow 

 8napdrag(jii wo once introduced into our garden, but 

 it haJ sucli a disposition to ramble and encroach 

 upon the rights of its neighbors, that we extermina- 

 ted it. We never noticed that it had a bad smell. 

 We have never seen it in fields. The mulleins are 

 of lUo snapdragon i'amily, and perhaps it is to these 

 our corrcspond'ent refers, though we never knew the 

 mullein cultivated as a flower. 



WILD MUSTARD. 



MLS.SR5. Edito-rs ;— Observing that you manifest a com- 

 me-jiduble willmgness to answer inquiries through the me- 

 dinm of the Farmer, I embrace the present opportunity to 

 soliril any information llrat you, or any of your numerous 

 and aljlc covrespomtents, may be so kind as to give, in rela- 

 tion to that noxiou.s arvd troublesome weed. Wild Mustard. 

 It is but a short time since its yellow blossome were first 

 scon waving over the fields in thi.s vicinity, but it is already 

 .ipreading with great rapidity. Id it destined to become the 

 lianu of our summer, os pigeort-weed is of our winter crops ? 

 If it is, I think it should be met with at least a vigoruus 

 resistance. Any information relative to the best mode of its 

 destruction, will be thankfully received by a young farmer. 

 I. W. Spepuerd.— /'»«« Yan. N. Y., Nov., 1850. 



A NEW STRAW CCTTTER. 



Mbssr-s. Editors : — -The frequent notices in yom- val- 

 uable journal, connected with the interest of the 

 Agriculturists, induces me to ask a place in your 

 columns. Every intelligent farmer has tested and 

 learned the valuo of cut feed for his cattle, and within 

 a few years past, quite a large variety of machines, 

 of different degrees of excellence, have been invented 

 and constructed for the purpose of cutting straw for 

 feed. Indeed, so great has been the variety produced, 

 that it would seem as though no higher degree of 

 excellence was attainable in this kind of implement : 

 yet none of those have possessed the high requisites 

 sought, as to be claimed or held the favorite. Some 

 arc too ditTicult to keep in order for use, others too 

 laborious, and all cut with so little facility, that the 

 time and labor expended in cutting, is quite equal to 

 tlie value of the feed when cut. At least this seems 

 to bo tho opinion of most farmers in reference to 

 straw, for this is usually thrown into the yard and 

 considered vahiable only as manure. But there is 

 one recently invented by .T. O. Baker, of North 

 Street, from its simplicity of construction, the ease 

 and rapidity wi^h which it cuts, and tho ease with 

 which it can be kept in order for use, (for any per- 

 son who can grind a butcher knife will find no diffi- 

 culty in keeping the knives sharp,) is destined, I 

 think, to supercede all other machines of the kind. 

 I had been aware that an attempt was being made 

 to get up a new kind of machine, but had not expected 

 one of so much merit, till I called on Mr. Baker, a 



while since, and was shown his machine. It is but 

 an imperfect, rudely constructed model, but its 

 working far exceeded anything extant, one man, 

 with this machine, cutting as much straw in a given 

 time, as two or three men with as many machines 

 of the best con.'=truction that I have ever seen either 

 at the County or State Fairs. The principle on 

 which the cutting is done, is entirely new. Tlie 

 straw is placed in a kind of box or hopper, below 

 which it is cut in its entire length at once against 

 some thirty or forty knives. The straw is taken hold 

 of by hooks inserted through a relating rod or shaft. 

 The hooks are of a peculiarconstruction,seizing hold 

 of the straw and carrying it inward toward the center 

 of the shaft, pressing it firmly together and whirligig 

 around dashes it against the edge of the knives. 

 When cut, it is liberated from the grasp of the hooks 

 in passing the knife. It would be well for all those 

 desirous of escaping tho evils experienced the last 

 winter and spring, to give this machine a passing 

 notice. I have called attention to this macliine, 

 believing that in doing so I shall have rendered the 

 farmers good service. J. M. Clbavla^nd. — Adams, 

 Jeff. Co., JV. Y., 1850. 



AN XNTEBESTINS LETTER FROM LAKE CO., OHIO. 



Messrs. Editors : — I send you three dollars for eight 

 copies of the Genesee Farmer, and I wtU add a few 

 thoughts. Your valuable paper has given sat'-sfac- 

 tion, so far as I am informed, to all those who have 

 been privileged with the reading of it. I hav? but 

 little to communicate that will be interesting or use- 

 ful, as regards the cultivators of the soil in this 

 vicinity. The labors are probably as well directed 

 and performed as in any section of the western 

 country. One fact I think is worthy of recorfl, and 

 that is, that mother Earth, ever kind and always un- 

 alterably just, has again the past year fully compen- 

 sated all for the labor bestowed. How few seem to 

 realize the fact, that although thus kirifl, she is always 

 inflexibly yi/f/ — "As you sow so shall yo also reap.' 

 I deeply deplore the almost imiversal ignorance of 

 the cultivators of the soil in reference to-llieir pecu- 

 liar and responsible calling. None of us for a 

 moment think of employing any mechanic to work in 

 wood, who is not qualified, by education and practice, 

 to judge of the adaptedness of the difterent kinds of 

 wood, to determine at once whether it is suited for 

 the uses required. Neither do we employ a mechanic 

 to work in the different metals, without his possessing 

 the like requisite knowledge of them. Few are will- 

 ing to employ a surgeon or physician unless he pos- 

 ses.ses an accurate knowledge of the human system, 

 and also of the remedial properties of the medicine 

 necessary to be prescribeJ. Or to engage any lawyer 

 who has not the requisite acquaintance with the 

 various laws enacted for the benefit of society. Few' 

 are esteemed learned who cannot so arrange the 

 letters of the alphabet as to express the simplest 

 truths in the simplest language, but also so to ar- 

 range them as to convoy tho mightiest facts and 

 truths in sucli a manner as to possess both light and 

 power. What great and momentous results have 

 been produced by the suitable arrangement of tho 

 simple letters. Nations have been controlled and 

 swayed, as the mind of one man. And shall the cul 

 tivators of the soil be less learned ? They are the 

 honored foundation upon which the whole magnifi- 

 cent structure of human society is built. They are 



