234 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Oct. 



EXPERIMENTS.— POTATO ROT. 



Lv THR Mass. Plougliman is a brief article from a 

 correspondent who, inquiring about the cause of the 

 potato rot, says, " his potatoes have not rotted, 

 while a^l tlie fields around him are badly afTccted."' 

 As a remedy he u~ed " a gill of salt and a little plas- 

 ter on each hill." He does not know "whether his 

 success is owing to the salt, the plaster, or both uni- 

 ted ; to a new soil, absence of barn manure, or a 

 mixture of various kind of potatoes planted together." 



My object in this communication is two-fold ; to 

 urge upon farmers the necessity of careful experi- 

 ments ; and also to suggest a plan by which the ex- 

 periments of others, or any other important practical 

 hints may be rendered available for future use. 



1st. Experiments; enough has doubtless been said 

 on this subject to render further remarks unneces- 

 sary, if due attention were paid to what has already 

 been written. The subject however, seems to re- 

 quire "line upon line," as the above experiment 

 shows. The experimenter does not know, k.c. — 

 Then what is the use of the experiment ? It has 

 settled no disputed question, and the world is very 

 little wiser than it was before. Experiments should 

 always be made for the purpose of settling some 

 doubtful or disputed point, in regard to the subject to 

 which they relate. To have rendered the above ex- 

 periment serviceable to others, or even to the author 

 himself, some variety should have been used, for 

 which there was abundant room in the use of the two 

 substances ; thus, commencing at one side of his 

 field, he should have used, say, on the first row sait, 

 on ihe second plaster, on the third the mixture, and 

 on the fourth nothing ; and continued this succes- 

 sion several time?, either on the same side, or in dif- 

 ferent parts of the field. This would have gone far 

 towards determining the value, absolute or relative, 

 of the different substances applied. To render such 

 experiments still more satisfactory, it would also be 

 necessary to regard the different kinds of soil, and 

 bow the results were affected by this difference. The 

 labor would be trifling compared with the value of 

 the results ; much less than it would appear from 

 reading this direction. The record might either be 

 kept in writing, in a small book kept for the purpose, 

 or by setting up at the end of the rows, slicks suit- 

 ably marked, and secured in their places, and should 

 be made in the field and at the time of making the 

 application ; that there might be no mistake. 



2d. How the experiments of other.*, and other val- 

 uable hints may be rendered available. This sug- 

 gestion may appear superfluous ; and yet it seems to 

 be necessary from the frequent inquiries fur informa- 

 tion that has already been given. My plan is, to 

 take a small blank book, (a sheet of fooi"s-cap folded 

 in octavo form and stiched together will answer,) 

 put down in this any hints that may be offered, or 

 suggested, in regard to the management or cultiva- 

 tion of any vegetable ; (I keep no animals ;) any 

 new thougiit gathered from reading or conversation; 

 experiments intended to be tried, kc. I would say, 

 keep ahso on some part of it an index, or reference 

 table, by which not only any subject in your agricul- 

 tural papers, (for I take it for granted you j)reserve 

 them,) but al.'^o any new and important thought you 

 may meet with in the body of an article, "may be 

 found by having in your "memorandum book" a rec- 

 ord of number, page, fcc. A valuable hint, experi- 

 ment, rec-ipt, kc, is often found in an " old news- 



paper," or fragment of one. Cut it out and fasten 

 it with a wafer in a blank book, or on a blank leaf of 

 a book, where it can be referred to when wanted ; 

 and make it a part of your business occasionally to 

 look over your papers, (having had them bound,) iu 

 order to revive your recollections of those subjects 

 that most intimately concern you. H. — Down East, 

 Aug., 1851. 



AGRICULTURAL CIRCULAR FROM PATENT OFFICE. 



The Commissioner of Patents has issued a Circular 

 desiring farmers to furnish answers to the following 

 questions : — the replies to be forwarded before the 

 1st of January,giving the name of Post office, County, 

 and State from which the answers are sent. The 

 U. S. Census will furnish reliable data as to the 

 quantity of grain and other crops, the number of do- 

 mestic animals, kc, so that such questions are 

 omitted in the circular. 



IVheat. — Is guano Ui?ed in the production of this 

 crop ? And, if so, what is the gain in bushels per 

 100 lbs. of the manure? What the average i>roduct 

 per acre — time of seeding and of harvesting — prepar- 

 ation of seed, and quantity used per acre — how many 

 times and how deep do you plow — is the yield per 

 acre increasing or dimishing — your system of rota- 

 tion in crops — best remedies for Hessian flies and 

 weevils — average price at your nearest market in 

 1851. 



Corn. — Is guano used in the production of this 

 crop ? If so, in what way is it applied ? What is 

 the gain in bushels per 100 lbs. of guano? State 

 tiie average product per acre — cost of produc'ion 

 per Bushel — state the best system of culture — best 

 method of feeding, whether whole or ground, cooked 

 or raw. State, if you can, how much grain the ma- 

 nure formed b}' ten bushels of corn consume! by hogs 

 will add to an acre, if carefully saved and skilfully 

 applied, at or before the time of planting. 



Oals, Barley, Ri/e, Peas and Beans. — Average 

 yield of these several crop* per acre — quantity of 

 seed used — which crop least exhausting tc land — are 

 peas cultivated as a renovating crop, and, if so, with 

 what success ? 



Clover and Grasses. — Quantity of hay cut per 

 acre — best fertilizers for meadows and pastures — the 

 grass seeds preferred in laying down meadows — cost 

 of growing hay per ton. 



Dairy Husbandry. — Average yearly pro.-luce of 

 butter or cheese per cow — comparative cost per lb. of 

 making butter and cheese — treatment of milk and 

 cream — mode of churning — of putting down butter 

 for market — average price of butter and of cheese. 



A'cat Cattle. — Cost of rearing till 3 years old — 

 usual price at that age — value of good dairy cows in 

 spring and in fall — how many pounds of beef will 100 

 lbs. of corn produce — will a given amount of food 

 yield more meat in a Durham, Devon, or Hereford, 

 than in a native animal ? How do you break steers 

 to the yoke 1 



Horses and Mules. — Is the growing of these ani- 

 mals profitable ? What is tlie expen.so of rearing a 

 colt or mule until three years old ? How should 

 brood mares and colts be treated ? VVIiat is the best 

 way to break young horses and mules for service. 



^heefi and (fool. — Is wool-growing profitable — 

 cost per Ib.'of growing coarse or fine wool — how 

 many pounds of wool will a ton of hay produce — are 

 larjre or small sheep more profitable cither for their 



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