102 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



the Genesek FarMKb has fully introduced this system of 

 mutual instruction, by tlio favor of postmasters and other 

 kind friends aiud patrons, tlie good etFects have been seen 

 and acknowledged. Mr. J. W. Pkkhtman, P. M. at 

 Monti^omery, Hamilton county, Ohio, writes under date of 

 March 11th, 1854 : 



" The farmers seem to be waking up in old Hamilton 

 County on the subject of ag-riculture. Many arc tryiny the 

 subsoil ,[)hi\v to some purpose ; and seveial of your sub- 

 scribers here, since readinij your suggestions on the subject 

 of manure-cellars, are deterniinod to have them, and shel- 

 ter the litter and dung about their barns. This appears to 

 speak well for your paper ; and the more it is read the 

 bettjr it is liked. In soliciting subscribers, ho\yever, I 

 find there are some who, because their fathers carried corn 

 to mill in one end of the bag and a stone in the other for 

 a balance, believe that they must do likewue. They are 

 averse to all progress which may come through papers, as 

 being too scientific and unpracticable. Nevertheless, we 

 hope through such journals as yours to diffuse the light 

 more abundantly ; aiid if they will persist, they will have to 

 pull ui) stakes and move away, or live and die in poverty." 



City Manukks. — A writer in a late number of tlie Lon- 

 don AgricnUitral Gazette says: 



"An imperial gallon of sewer water from Barrett's 

 Court contained substances in solution, 243.30 grains ; in- 

 soluble substances. 248.0() grains. In the soluble sub- 

 stances there were nearly 37 griiins of ammonia, and at 

 least 70 grains of salt, which pass aw.ay and are lost by the 

 acts of common filtration, or of subsidence. And matters 

 are not much better if peat- charcoal be employed as a 

 filter." 



"We are not surprised to learn that peat-charccal fails to 

 answer the expected purpose of separating salts of ammo- 

 nia, potash, soda and magnesia, whether dissolved in sewer 

 water or the urine of animals. Either the water holding 

 fertilizing matters in so'ution must be applied directly to 

 the soil, as at Edinburgh, or it must be evaporated, with 

 such an addition as will fix the ammonia it may con- 

 tain as a carbonate or free. In the city of Manchester 

 there is a Manure-making Company, whose operations, so 

 far as we understand them, appear to be on the best known 

 plan. Their sales increase rapidly, because thus far they 

 have manufactured a first-rate article, and sold it at a 

 reasonable rate. 



Hamilton Township Fair.— The enterprising farmers 

 of Hamilton township, C. W., as v,-e learn from the Co- 

 boiirg Star, have recently held an interesting and successful 

 fair, for the purchase and sale of agricultural seeds of all 

 kinds, farm stock, and other articles important to the cul- 

 tivators of the soil. The festival concluded with a good 

 dinner, followed by patriotic toasts, and a reasonable 

 amount of agreeable and instructive agricultural talking. 

 Such fairs for the sale of choice seed wheat, corn, peas, 

 oats, barley, garden seeds, neat stock, &c., are very useful 

 in the spring of the year, when remunerating prices may 

 be had to encourage general improvement. Every town- 

 ship (or town) in the Northern States, and every precinct 

 and parish at the South, ought to have a well-organized 

 Society to facilitate domestic exchanges of property, good 

 wiU, and rural knowledge. Such a Society should also 

 have a well-selected agricultural library, for the instruction 

 of all its members. 



An Interesting DiscovmiT. — The American Journal 

 of Science and Art for March contains an interesting ac- 

 count of Fossil Lingulca and some other Shells, by W. E. 

 LouAN, F. R. S., and T. S. Hunt, Esq., engaged in a 

 geological survey of Canada, which occur in several parts 

 of the Lower Silurian Rock, Potsdam Sandstone, and 

 strata of a more recent age. These fossils are remarkable 

 for being composed, not of carbonate of lime like all other 

 moluscs, but of phosphate of lime like the skeletons of the 

 verlebratce. These ancient shells have the following com- 

 position : 



Phosphate of lime, 85.79 



Carbonate of lime, 1] .75 



Magnesia, 2.80 



100.34 

 The gentlemen above named say : " The proportion of 

 phosphate of lime is that contained in human bones, after 

 their organic matter has been removed." They descrilie 

 four varieties of fossil Lingulw ; and should they any where 

 be found in quantities, they will furnish a new resource for 

 agriculture, in giving an important element of crops. 



Buckwheat as a Fertilizer. — Mr. James Bullooh, 

 of Sylvania, Bradford county, Pa., wishes to learn from 

 some one having exjierience in the matter, whether he can 

 raise two crops of buckwheat in a season for plowing in 

 on the same piece of land. Our impression is that it ii 

 quite practicable in this latitude, and we have seen twxi 

 crops grown in Upper Georgia for the purpose named. 

 At the South, and we believe in Pennsylvania, peas are 

 better than buckwheat as a renovating crop — of which two 

 crops may be grown in a year, unless August and Septem- 

 ber prove to be exceedingly dry. There is not much sub- 

 stance in the stems and leaves of buckwheat as food for 

 neat stock, or food for agricultural plants ; and buckwheat 

 has little to recommend it, beyond its seeds for grinding 

 and griddle-cakes. 



The American Artists' Union of the city of New 

 York is doing a pretty extensive business in the manufac- 

 ture and sale of popular pictures. Those wishing any 

 thing of the kind, or an agency for the sale of engravings, 

 oil paintings, &c., can address J. ^Y. Holbrooke, Secre- 

 tary, 605 Broadway, New York. 



Godet's Lady's Book for May — Containing 100 pages, 

 51 engravings, and 74 contributions. A beautiful spring 

 number, containing every thing that a lady may de.-'ire to 

 complete her spring toilet. To any person sending us 

 three dollars, we will send Iko copies of the Fakmeh and 

 one copy of the Lady's Book. 



Russia as tt Is : Rv Count Gukowski. New Tnrk : D. Applb- 

 TON & Co. Sold liy n". M. Dewey, Rochester, N. Y. 



We have read the book above named, and regard it as 

 one of the mo.st ins'^ructive and interesting of the season. 

 Count GuROwsKi is a native of Russian Poland, who has 

 spent much tim.e at the capital of Russia, and had every 

 desirable opportunity to study its institutions and people. 

 r>v sending a dollar and ten cents to D. M. Dewey, a copy ' 

 wiU be sent, postage paid, to any part of the United States- 



