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1/ ) 84 THE GENESEE PARMER. • ( ^ 



farm husbandry ;" and knowing that it was very generally supposed that this climate 

 was not so well adapted to the profitable culture of root crops as Great Britain, we haz- 

 zarded the following assertion : " We speak advisedly when we pronounce 41^ tons a 

 greater crop than has ever been raised in Great Britain. 25 tons is there considered a 

 first rate crop, and is seldom exceeded." We said this, not in the least to intimate a 

 doubt that Mr. Andrew's crop was not 41^ tons per acre, but as practical proof that 

 our climate and soil would produce better roots than England. When we made the 

 above assertion, we were aware that there were many published accounts of 40, 50, CO, 

 and even 70 tons of turnips per acre, reported by men of undoubted veracity. Upon 

 investiga-ting these statements, however, we generally found that the methods of ad- 

 measurement were of anything but an unexceptionable and satisfactory character. In 

 some cases a few yards of a single row only had been weighed, and with the weight 

 thus obtained as the basis of calculation, the acreage yield had been determined and 

 published. Others would " stride off" an acre, and count the number of " cart loads," 

 estimating the cart to contain a certain number of bushels, and the turnips to weigh so 

 many pounds per bushel ; and in this way calculate the weight per acre. Any one can 

 see that it is easy in this way — especially if you think you have a large crop, and wish 

 others to think so too — to make a crop yield 50 or 60 tons per acre. 



Last fall, a friend of ours who had an excellent crop of potatoes, wished to ascertain 

 the probable yield per acre. Accordingly he dug half a dozen hills, weighed the pota- 

 toes, and found to his delight that his croj) would yield 1,275 bushels per acre. Even 

 Prof Comstock's terra cultured potatoes did not beat this. However, Avhen the pota- 

 toes were all dug, the yield was found to have decreased to somewhere about 250 bushels 

 per acre. So we believe would have been the case with these immense ruta baga crops, 

 if correctly weighed. We do not say it is impossible to grow such crops ; still, we 

 believe 50 tons of turnips have never been grown on a single acre. We have had 

 unusually favorable opportunities of seeing and judging the weight of the best turnip 

 crops of England, and have accurately weighed some of the largest crops of Scurvin's 

 ruta baga we ever saw, and never found one to exceed 27 tons per acre. 



No one can set a higher value on root crops in agriculture than ourselves, and we 

 would use every means in our power to extend their culture. Exaggerated accounts of 

 large crops, however, we think rather calculated to retard ultimately the desired object 

 than to hasten it ; for a farmer who expects 50 or 60 tons per acre, will certainly be 

 disappointed, and consider the whole aftair a humbug. 



Why does the Sap rise in Trees? — This interesting question is the caption of a long arliclo to 

 be found in the August number of 1852 of the Workhig Fa^nner. I have rc*ad many essays intended 

 to elucidate this phenomenon, but the one referred to is the rarest specimen of scientific literature I 

 have ever met with. The author begins by attributing to the whole family of vegetable physiolo- 

 gists a want of accurate knowledge of cause and effect, and of seeking shelter behind an unmeaning 

 shadow, by them styled vital principle. After having thus modestly disposed of the common herd, 

 he goes on and says: "We are willing to admit that some of the causes for the rising of sap in 

 trees and other plants, may neither be known nor understood ; but so many arc known, and their 

 operations have been so minutely considered, that we see no objection to attributing the whole 

 phenomena to such natural laws as we are acquainted with, provided they seem to be sufficient to 

 render the whole fact clearly understandable." 



lie proceeds and gives no less than eight propelling powers, to which ho attributes the rising of 

 the sap. I would always prefer to liavo one well authenticated reason, than so many, lest they all 

 should fail. But let us see if any of the reasons assigned will bear examination. He does not 

 single out any one of them, but attributes it to the joint operation of them all. 



The first ])ropelling power enumerated is capillarii attraction. Cajiillary attraction exerts but a 

 very feeble jwwer when it is exerted in straight tubes, but water may be absorbed by jioroua 

 bodies to a considerable elevation above its level. But such absorption never assumes the form of 



