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THE GENESEE FAEMER. 



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native vines. He has made considerable quanti- 

 ties of wine, which amateurs have tasted and 

 pronounced choice, and he is prepared to go 

 ahead on the strength of past success. 



As population increases, and labor becomes 

 more abundant, wine will be made in such quan- 

 tities as to be esteemed one of the staples of the 

 Republic. It has climates admirably adapted to 

 the growth of the vine ; and it actually contains 

 more varieties of native grapes than aJl the world 

 beside. There is not a State or Territory from 

 Maine to Oregon, and from the groat lakes to the 

 Gulf of Mexico, in which indigenous grapes do 

 not flourish. From someiof these native varieties, 

 or tlieir crosses, science and labor will produce 

 fruit of inestimable value. 



MAMMoni "Wheat, and how to kaise it. — That there 

 are giants as well in the vegetable as in the animal nations, 

 may be proved by a specimen of many-headed wheat from 

 a single seed, now on exhibition at our offlco. There are 

 114 sUilks, each having a fully developed head — all the 

 family of one grain of wheat, planted last fall. Allowing 

 each grain to yield 35 grains (a very low average), tliero 

 would be about 4000 grains. In a bushel of wheat, weigh- 

 ing CO pounds, there are 408,000 grains. This is on the 

 supposition that the wheat is of the best quality ; the aver- 

 age is said to bo 520,600 grains. At this rate, 1-30 such stools 

 of wheat would yield a bushel. This monster growth v>as 

 raised on Ex-Governor Dewey's farm, near Lancaster, and 

 handed to us by his father, who is considered one of our 

 first fanners, lie is of the belief that too much wheat is 

 commonly sown to the acre, and that more attention should 

 bo given to preparing the soil. — Grant Co. Ilentld. 



Tlie father of the Governor is quite right in his 

 notion that too much seed wheat is usually sown 

 per acre, and that more attention should be paid 

 to the preparation of the land. If we cultivated 

 wheat as we do corn, by plowing between the 

 rows, killing all weeds, letting in more sunshine 

 where tlie plants are luxuriant, and making the 

 soil richer wliere they are small and feeble, our 

 harvests might bo brought up to an average of 

 thirty bushels per acre. Our practice and its 

 results, in wheat cultxire, are far, very far, below 

 the possible — below, far below, the profitable. 



Notices for Correspondents. — We have re- 

 ceived and shall publish in our next, several val- 

 uable letters and articles, intended for this num- 

 ber of the Farmer. Mr. A. B. Collver, of Win- 

 chester, Douglass county, Oregan, wiU please 

 accept our thanks for his communication ; and 

 our readers in Oregon and California are respect- 

 fully requested to write often, giving an account 

 of the progress of agriculture on the west side of 

 the Rocky Mountains. We will give Mr. Collver 

 the information he desires about reapers and 

 seed-di-ills in a private letter, and piiblish his 

 with comments in our November number. Tlie 

 1 N letter of our friend R. M. 0., of Greenfield, Sara- 



togo county, will appear in our next. "The 

 Making, Saving, and Application of Manures" is 

 a subject of universal interest, and a branch of 

 husbandry which is susceptible of great im- 

 provement. 



A subscriber at Lakeville, desires information 

 respecting the burning of coal for kitchen pur- 

 poses, and asks : " A ton of coal is equal to how 

 many cords of wood, without regard to porosi- 

 ty ?" In Rochester, where wood is $5.00 a cord, 

 and coal 10 cents a bushel, we think coal to burn 

 in a small furnace and heat smoothing-irons, 

 cheaper than wood; but for washing, cooking, 

 and warming rooms, a cord of hard wood that 

 will weigh from SOOO to 4000 pounds dry is 

 nearly equal in value to a like weight of dry 

 coal. In converting wood into coal, a great deal 

 of heat is generated and lost This is an im- 

 portant matter in domestic economy ; and we 

 will make its philosophy perfectly plain in a fu- 

 ture number. 



Mi\ H. T. Wakefield's request about the con- 

 struction of ice houses will receive due attention. 



Tlie communication about protecting bees from 

 moths, and separating chess from wheat, is thank- 

 fully received, and marked for insertion. 



The suggestions of " C. W." in reference to the 

 new plan for burning lime, which we published 

 in the July number, are timely and to the point. 

 He has seen it tried, and pronounces it "a fail- 

 ure." 



"A Michigan Farmer" has our sympathies, 

 and his letter will appear in our next. We have 

 set our faces against all frauds and quack nos- 

 trums in rural affairs. Wool-growing has been 

 too much the subject of speculation and frauds in 

 various ways. Other communications have been 

 received, and will meet with due attention. 



We have only room to say that a National 

 Exhibition of imported and American horses will 

 take place at Springfield, Mass., on the 19th, 20th, 

 21st, and 22d of October instant, under the 

 auspices of the United States Agricultural Society. 

 It is likely to be a grand affair, it being the first 

 of the kind ever attempted in this countiy. 



STATE FAIRS FOB 1853. 



New nampshu*e, Oct. 5, 6, 7 



Maryland, ' Oct. 25,26,27,28 



Illinois, at Springfield, Oct. 11, 12, 13, 14 



Indiana, at Lafayette, Oct. 12, 13, 14 



Wisconsin, at Watertown, Oct. 4 to 7 



Virginia, at Eichmond,. Nov. 1, 2, 3, 4 



UpperCanada, Oct. 5 to 7 



Southern Central Agricultural Societ7, 



Augusta, Ga., Oct 17 to 20 



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