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THE GENESEE FARMER. 371 



" Farmers and Manufacturers." — In the last Farmer, under the above heading, our worthy friend, 

 Jason Smith, of Tyre, bespeaks more encouragement for the manufacturer, that he may be able to 

 consume the products of the farmer, who is now dependent on a foreign market. This, I take it, is 

 rather obsolete political economy, since the permanent prosperity and unprecedented increase of our 

 manufacturers has already brought about the result which our friend Smith now hopes for. It is 

 admitted that at this time no country on the earth's surface can boast of a more successful or 

 increasing manufacturing industry than these United States ; and what is most singular, the iron 

 interest, which Mr. Smith adverts to — an interest that has clamored louder than any other for more 

 protection against foreign competition — is now more prosperous, and in a greater state of progress, 

 than any other bmnch of domestic industiy. 



Mr. Smith's re^rks on the importance of keeping young stock well fed and growing until they 

 reach maturity, are founded on that good economy which characterizes Mr. Smith's farming, but 

 which is sadly neglected by farmers generally ; and doubtless the tempting price offered by the dis- 

 tillers for their corn, is at the bottom of the evil. But every good farmer should contrive, by extra 

 pains, in making, saving, and applying his manure, to have extra gi'ain or other food sufficient to 

 keep his animals well, after selling the greater portion of his cereal crop. It is true, as Mr. Smith 

 says, that the pork of the distillery comes in competition with that of the farmer, and reduce* his 

 profits on that article ; but the distiller more than makes up for his competition in the pork market, 

 by the increased price he pays for the farmer's corn. Last winter the farmers of Seneca and Wayne 

 sold their very large crops of corn to the distilleries at 68f cents the bushel, while no prodnce buyer 

 in these counties would pay over fifty cents a bushel for corn to send to the New York market. It 

 is also true, as Mr. Smith asserts, that the waste of manure by the distillers of Seneca coynty is a 

 crying evil, and a manifest cheat upon the vegetable kingdom, which she will not fail to retaliate 

 upon the animal creation. But these things are managed better elsewhere. At the distilleries in 

 Oneida and Madison counties, the pens and stalls for cattle and hogs are cleaned daily, and the ma- 

 nure, liquid and solid, is all sold to the corn and hop growing farmers in those counties, at the rate 

 of 25 cents a two-horse load. At the great distilleries around New York, the slop is all appropriated, 

 and the manure returned to the hungry soil in its rural vicinity. 



If it was my purpose to vindicate the distilleries, I should not attempt it now, when the mania 

 for Maine law turns every head. But it is susceptible of proof, that the cooked slop of the distil- 

 lery will fatten as many animals as the raw corn would have done before it was ground and passed 

 through the still ; and if the manure is saved and applied to the soil, nothing is lost — and I trust 

 it will be admitted that the alcohol converted into burning fluid, and for medicinal purposes, is 

 something gained. 



Mr. Smfth refers to Joseph Harris' articles in the Farmer, entitled " The Farm as a Manufactory." 

 I hope Mr. H. will continue the discussion of the subject, to show that if the "making of manure 

 follows the making of pork, beef, mutton, butter, cheese, Ac.," the product Is but too often wasted 

 to the winds, and rarely, if ever, thoroughly saved and economically applied, at least on this side 

 of the Atlantic. S. W. 



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California Farming. — ^Tlie following is an extract from a letter to Rev. C. "Woodward, of this 

 village, written by a gentleman engaged in farming, in the land of gold. It bears date Sau Lorenzo, 

 September 12, 1853 : 



" My farming operations here this season would compare favorably with some of the first-clas^ 

 farmers in Western New York. 1 have just completed the threshing of my grain, which was prin" 

 cipally barley. The total crops of my farm amount to a little over 6,000 bushels of barley (a part of 

 which was grown on shares), and 600 bushels of wheat. The barley grew on 88 acres of land, and the 

 wheat on 8 acres. Some three acres of the wheat yielded above 90 bushels to the acre, a yield 

 probably unprecedented even in this country of great things. The yield of barley, however, was 

 nothing extraordinary for this country. In addition to my grain crops, I have about 60 acres of 

 potatoes, which will average 200 bushels to the acre ; also 2 or 3 acres of cabbages or pumpkins. 

 My total crop will be about 550 tons. This amount of produce, to a New York farmei-, will seem 

 large ; but there are many farmers in this country who will triple that amount of produce this sea- 

 sou, and some few that would not miss that amount if taken from their crop. John M. Heman, 

 about ten miles south of me, this season has harvested and threshed 5,000 bushels of wheat, and 

 nearly as much barley. He has also 1,500 acres of potatoes, all of which will yield finely; and 

 cabbages, beets, carrots, and onions, without count. In fact, California will this season about sup- 

 ply herself with the great staples of life." — Seneca County Courier. 



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