112 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



May 



When should the seed be put into the ground, nnd how 

 many bushels may bo considered nn ordinary yield ? 



And, generally, how should the crop be cultivated ; or, 

 in other words, what ore the causes why so many fail in 

 their attempt to raise it ? 



In relation to the raising of Flax, our enquiries will bo en- 

 tirely confined to the culiivatiDu of it simply for the seed. 

 It is said there are three kinds of seed, and that one kind will 

 yield much more seed than either the others. If this be the 

 case, will you describe this seed so that it may bo known. 

 Again, at what time in the ycarshoald it be sown, and how 

 much seed should be sown to the acre ? On this latter point 

 there seems to be a variety of opinion. The Patent Office 

 Report referred to above varies the quantity from half to one 

 and a quarter bushels to the acre. The (complete Farmer 

 says that six pecks is the least, and two bushels the most 

 that should be sown. The Prairie I'armcr lays it down at 

 one bushel to the acre. The Valley Fanner, in an article on 

 this subject, affirms that from fifteen to twenty quarts is 

 enough ; while a writer in the St. Louis In'.elligencer of a 

 late date, says that six to eight quarts is amply .sufficient. 

 From these various statements, you will see that in sowing 

 say thirty acres, the matter of seed alone becomes a question 

 of some importance, especially when good seed is worth 

 from 1 1,05 to $1,75 per bushel, and it becomes doubly so 

 when from the sowing of six quarts to the acre, according to 

 the writer in the Intelligencer, a person may expect as an or- 

 dinary crop, eighteen Ijushels to the acre, and from that to 

 twenty-four. This writer signs himself an " Kasiern Man," 

 and professes to give his experience as such, with that of 

 others within his knowledge. 



Now, Messrs. Edilwrs, living, as we do, some distance 

 from any market, having at least one hundred miles of land 

 carriage, you will sec that the more capital we can get into 

 the bushel, other things being equal, the belter. Any infor- 

 mation in answer to this, will be fully appreciated by one 

 subscriber at least. II. 1). J. — Eddyville, la., March. 1G51. 



One must have choice land and a favorable season, to real- 

 ize from eighteen to twenty-four bushels of (lux seed per 

 acre from a field of thirty acres. Practical men dilTer in 

 opinion as much about flax culture, as on any other subject. 

 To obtain a large crop of seed, the soil should be finely cul- 

 tivated and rich, and care should be taken not to sow too 

 much seed per acre. We have many readers of experience 

 in the production of this crop, nnd we should like to learn 

 from some of them the quantity of seed which they use. 



The demand for mustard is loo limited for the general cul- 

 ture of this plant, if it paid well as a field crop. 



Messrs. Editors : — Will you have the goodness to inform 

 me whether old chip manure is well adapted to a garden of 

 stony, gravelly soil. I do not sufficiently understand the 

 chemical analysis of the manure — the soil to which it is to be 

 applied — the vegetables to be grown in the soil — to decide. 

 But I am seeking for the requisite knowledge on these points, 

 through your very careful journal, and other sources, lioping 

 I may soon be able to determine such questions for myself. 

 But for this time if you would give some general views in 

 relation to this point, you would do me a favor and per- 

 haps your readers generally. iNfiUiuKR. 



"Chip manure'" is better adapted to a heavy, clay soil 

 than to one which is light, or " stony and gravelly." By 

 mixing leached ashes with decaying chips, their fertilizing 

 power, for any soil, will be greatly improved. They are 

 .also admirably adopted to the wants of trees, as a mulching, 

 covering the entire area of the roots of the tree. Chip ma- 

 nure is light and porous, and may Imj advantageously mixed 

 with the solid and liquid droppings of animals. 



Eds. GF.!f. Farmer : — Please publish information relative 

 to the different kinds of mills for cleaning clover seed — hand- 

 mill, horse-power, and water- power — and the cost of each. 

 Wm. S. Fi.ack.— £.«*«, A'. 1'., Feb., 1851. 



There have been several improvemenu in machines for 

 cleaning clover seed, since the Editor of this jjurnal was 

 familiar with the operation. Perhaps some one now en- 

 gaged in the husinc.><s of growing clover seed will give the 

 desired information. We believe E. J. Borrall, of G'tneva. 

 manufactures a good mill. 



Messrs. Editors :— If it will not tax your time too much, I 

 should be glad to have an answer from you to one or two 

 questions which I am unable to answer for myself, and that 

 you may answer undcrstandingly, 1 will transcribe an anal- 

 ysis of our soil and subsoil, made for us by Dr. Salisbury. 

 It is as follows. 100 parts of dry soil give of 



Surface 8oil. Sub-soil. 



Iluminc and Ilumic acid, CTIG") 



Apocrcnic acid,.. O.l-Kj I 



Cronicncid, o!o5e S 3.300 



UnJecomposed or insoluble vegeta- | 



bin mailer, 5,802J 



Silira, 8:>'.G91 84.310 



Alumnia and Iron, 7.842 8.560 



Lime, 0..5G0 (1.590 



Phosphoric acid, 0.0.53 0.056 



Magnesia, 0.437 0.920 



Potash, 0.853 0.940 



Soda, 0.343 0..580 



<-"l»l»nne, o.lGO 0.170 



Sulphuric acid, 0.261 0.280 



99.970 99.766 



Now, what I wish to know is this : would the following 

 rotation, accompanied by the soiling system, be a beneficial 

 one or not?— that is. would the soil probably grow better or 

 worse under it? The rotation is as follows : 



l.st year. Manure on green crops, as turnips, potatoes, 

 and corn, drilled for fodder, &c. 



2d year. Spring grain, seeded with clover. 



3d year. Clover cui for hay and feeding, then turned over 

 in the fall and sowed with wheat. 



4th year. Wheat, seeded with clover. 



5th year. Clover, cut and turned under in the fall, and 

 sowed with wheat. 



Clh year. Wheat. 



7th year. Manure again, say twenty loads to the acre. 



An answer to the above, through your valuable paper, or 

 otherwise, as most convenient, will much oblige A IIkad- 

 KK.—Loc/iport, N. Y., March, 1S51. 



Our correspondent has a soil which is better than an ave- 

 rage in Western New York, although it contains only a half 

 per cent of lime, or thereabouts. If we understand him. he 

 proposes to seed with wheat four falls in succession, viz. 

 3d, 4ih, Sill and 6th, in his system of rotation. This is too 

 much of one while crop, unless ho applies ashes, salt, lime, 

 and stable manure to keep up and augment the fruitfulness of 

 his arated land. There are few soils which can bear over 

 one crop of wheat (a good one) in three years, and as a gen- 

 eral rule, one in four j-ears will be better in the long run. 

 Green crops made into manure, and that restored to the fielda 

 whence the crops were taken, should be more practiced, if 

 farmers wish to improve their estates. This, with un- 

 der-draining and deep-tillage, will change the whole face of 

 our country for the better. Rear choice neat stock on grass 

 and other forage plants, and the business will be profitable. 



AIf.ssrs. Editors : — I have purchased a lot of hair from the 

 tanners, for the purpose of applying it to my land. If con- 

 venient. I would be pleased to be advised how and when the 

 hair ought to be applied to the soil for the benefit of the sum- 

 mer crop. I propose applying at the rate of tvventy bushels 

 per acre. Elida Joh.n. — i'UasaiU Dale, Pa., March, 1851. 



Cover the hair with a plow, to decompose in the soil ji'st 

 below the rooU» of your crops ; ami be careful to spread it 

 evenly in the rows, or broadcast, as you may think best to 

 apply it. Hair is a powerful fertilizer when it rots. 



F,Ds. Ge:«. Farmer : — Will you do me the favor to inform 

 mr", at j'our earliest convonience, whether Distillery Manure 

 is good for raising vegetables and grain. -Any information 

 you may be pleased to give me will be thankfully ^ccei^■e(l. 

 I do not recollect seeing anything in your paper respecting 

 it.— Joii.v G. KiLitY.— W'aterford, N. Y., Feb., 1851. 



Distillery manure being formed of the seeds of grain, cither 

 corn, rye, or barley, is valuable for all veget.iblcs. It is 

 usually diluted with a good deal of water, but this dues not 

 change the nature of any of its fertilizing elements. 



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