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THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Aug. 





I 



TO DESTROY UNDER -BRUSH. 



s 



" What is the best time to cut under-brush, Sic. ?" 

 In the June number of the Farmer the above ques- 

 tion is proposed by " A Subscriber," to which 1 pro. 

 pose to trivc an answer, combining both a little expe- 

 rience and a little theory. Having been brought up 

 on a farm, I used to hear much said by farmers in 

 regard to the " best lime" for cutting bushes, fcc, 

 and remember well the many uncertainties that ex- 

 isted, and the various opinions given on the subject. 

 Some recommended to cut them at one season, some 

 at another. Some regarded the " moon," others the 

 " signs," Sic. I also remember that the same kind 

 of under-brush, if cut at one season, would start again 

 and grow luxuriantly ; but, if cut at another, would 

 be completely " used up." I have also, within the 

 last few years, had opportunity to notice the same 

 facts : and the conclusion to which I have arrived is, 

 that diflerent shrubs, or bushes, trees, &cc,, may be 

 cut at different seasons of the year. Some are killed 

 by cutting as early as the first of July ; others, by 

 the first of August ; and so on till October, or even 

 November. The rule is this : " Cut any plant, or 

 shrub, about the time that it has done growing for 

 the season, and its destruction is almost certain." 

 If cut before this time, it will generally start again 

 the same year ; and if deferred much beyond this 

 time, it will generally start again the next year. 

 The exceptions are few. So much for the facts, 

 now for the tUe^ry. 



1st. In th^^pVing of the year all roots are vigor- 

 ous. Hence, af a tree or shrub be cut at this time, 

 or while in fuli,^Vowth, the root will send forth a new 

 set of shoots. The exceptions are — 1st, Evergreens 

 generally, as pine, hemlock, spruce, Sic. 2J, Those 

 that have a copious flow of sap in the spring, as the 

 maple, birch, Sic. Yet even some of these will start 

 again if cut soon after the buds have opened ; i. e., 

 after the spring flow of sap has ceased ; except in 

 the case of old or large trees, in which the root ap- 

 pears not sufficiently vigorous, or the evaporation 

 from the stump too rapid, to allow of the formation 

 of new shoots. 



2d. In autumn, when a shrub or tree has done 

 growing for the season, the active energies of the 

 root cease, being, perhaps, somewhat exhausted by 

 its summer action. If, then, the bush or tree be cut 

 after it has done growing, but while the stem and 

 leaves are fresh and full of sap, the vital force of the 

 root will rarely be sufficient to cause a new growth ; 

 but if left till the foliage is dead or dying, the ener- 

 gies of the root are restored by the return of the sap, 

 and are ready for action again as soon as the season 

 of growth shall return. Hence, too early or too late 

 cutting will be equally unsuccessful. 



Cut your under-brush, then, at the time above 

 specified, and it will rarely start again. If it does, 

 the growth will appear stinted or sickly, and soon 

 die of its own accord, or a second cutting at the 

 proner time will insure success. The same rule 

 ar ^lies to all other plants, as Canada thistles, milk- 

 "veeds, Stc, Sic, with greater or less certainty, ac- 

 cording to the greater or less vital force, or tenacity 

 of life, peculiar to the root of each kind of vegetable. 



The "proper time" can easily be determined by 

 observing whether new leaves continue to appear at 

 the ends of the prominent branches. When the end 

 leaves are of full size, and a bud is seen at the end 

 of the branch, then (or soon after) is your lime to 



cut. If deferred long beyond this time, or till the 

 leaves begin to turn yellow, or fall, cutting will be 

 of little use, as the root will be " strong" for a new 

 start on the opening of a new spring. H. — Doicn 

 East, June, 1851. 



Messrs. Editors: — Your correspondent, "A Sub- 

 scriber," in your June number, requests you, or some 

 one, through the Farmer, to tell him when is tlie 

 best time to cut under-brush, to prevent its sprouting 

 up from the root again. Perhaps you, or some ona 

 else, can give him more correct information than I 

 can ; yet, experience has proved to me, that in the 

 old of the moon in August is the best time to cut 

 brush of any kind, and small timber. In 1845 I bought 

 a farm, and on the farm at the time, there were sev- 

 eral patches of willows ; and as they added nothing 

 to the beauty or profit of the farm, I took my oxen 

 and chain, and went to work in earnest, aiul tore 

 them all out, root and branch, excepting one patch, 

 which I found to be too large to extricate in tliat 

 way. I let them stand till the old of the moon in 

 August, and then I cut them down ; but had some 

 fears on account of the roots being so numerous, and 

 running in wet, marshy ground ; but my fears proved 

 to be groundless, as I believe there has not a single 

 sprout started, and the old stumps are now dead and 

 rotten. I have known brush that stood in the open 

 field, around stumps, fcc, to be cut at the time above 

 named, and it proved efiectual in destroying them. 

 O. S. Curtis. — West Martinsburgh^ Lewis Co., iV. 

 Y., June, 1851. 



S. W.'S NOTES rOR THE MONTH. 



The Crops — Wheat harvest has now commenced. 

 Tlie worm C. trilici, has injured some fields of wheat ; 

 but the Mediterranean and most of the other varie- 

 ties sown on a quickened, well prepared, soil, escaped 

 its ravages. It is at length admitted by every prac- 

 tical farmer who loves his calling, that judicious ma- 

 nuring, good tillage, and the timely sowing and 

 planting, is the most effectual means of getting the 

 start of both worms and bad seasons. Up to this 

 time, 15th July, we have had a very growing season 

 for all sorts of crops ; heat and moisture are now 

 doing much in all dry, well tilled fields, towards 

 crowning the labors of the husbandmen. Yot, many 

 farmers on flat, undrained land, complain of nature's 

 lavish blessing, in the form of frequent warm showers. 

 If Indian Corn is not a good crop this season, the 

 fault will be in the farmer. If he has attempted to 

 plant a flat, undrained field, he will be sure to let the 

 fact be known, by the industry he now displays in 

 hunting up turnip seed, to sow the vacant places in 

 his field of corn. But the season can well aflurd to 

 bear the blame it never fails to receive from such til- 

 lers of the earth's surface. 



Cow's Milk. — A committee of the academy of 

 Medicine i:i the city of New York have made a long 

 elaborate report, in which is a table of the analysis 

 of both grass-feed, and still-fed cow's milk. It is 

 evident that some one interested in the character of 

 Orange County milk, must have played a trick on 

 the learned, but unexperienced committee ; aa the 

 analysis shows that Orange County milk is twice as 

 rich in butter as the milk from the grass-fed cowa 

 of Bloomingdalo. Prima facie evidence that the 

 Orange cow that gave the milk analyized was a 

 famous cow for butler, and that the Bloomingdale 



