THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Ill 



is the point now to be considered. Tt is done simply 

 by spreading the manure over a greater surface, not so 

 thin as not to heat at all, nor ferment, but thicker or 

 thinner according to the weather and the nature of 

 the manure. To adopt the language of fanners, some 

 excrements are of a more heating nature than others; 

 and no one rule will apply to every condition and 

 composition of the dung heap. It should not, how- 

 ever, be long exposed to the open air, rain and sun- 

 shine, but'lUlie covered over with loam, clay, or vege- 

 table mould. In this state Scotch farmers call their 

 dung-heaps "pies;" the covering of earth being the 

 upper-crust, and one of clay or leaf-mould being the 

 under-crust. The right management of these "pies" 

 is quite as difficult as the management of a coal-pit, 

 or burning brick-kiln. All air must not be excluded, 

 for that would arrest decomposition. To learn the 

 condition of the mass, the farmer sticks a stake into 

 it, which being drawn out, he learns from the steam, 

 .gases, and temperature of the air that issues, how his 

 pie is baking. If the heat is too great, the heap 

 should be forked over immediately to cool it, as you 

 would close the draft in a coal-pit, a lime or brick- 

 kiln. If water is convenient, make stake holes into 

 the heap and pour water into them, just enough to 

 put out the latent fire below. 



To avoid all loss and labor of this kind, we prefer 

 to haul most of our manure in a raw, unfermeuted 

 5tate, into the field, spread and plow it at once, and 

 let it rot in the soil. This course is not always prac- 

 iir;ible, and the dung has to be preserved in some 

 !'(inn for future use. To have it rot, and at the same 

 tims decompose a good deal of corn-stalks, straw and 

 forest leaves, mixed therewith, and lose nothing of its 

 volatile elements, is the end to be aimed at. 



OPERATIONS FOR JUNE. 



^Ir. Editor : — June has come and with it the seed 

 time of many of the present backward season. Every 

 moment is now of value, and let eveiy stroke and 

 ollurt tell. Hay, corn, wheat — in fact, all the agri- 

 cuUural productions of the country, have brought 

 hi;i;!ier prices than for years before, and we see no 

 reason why they should much diminish in value, while 

 the demand for the European market shall continue. 



Will it not be worth your while to have as great 

 a surplus of those crops as possible, by bestowing 

 more attention to root crops as a means of winter 

 feed for your stock ? The turnip is a veiy important 

 element in English husbandry; and though our climate 

 may not be so well adapted for that particular root, 

 yet have we not an equivalent in the sugar beet, car- 

 rot, parsnip and mangel wurtzel ? On ground pro- 

 perly prepared, the yield of any one of the roots 

 mentioned, may be safely estimated at from 500 to 

 800 bushels. The writer once raised thirty-nine 

 bushels of mangel wurtzel on four and one-half square 

 rods of ground, or at the rate of nearly fourteen hun- 

 dred bushels to the acre. 



To raise roots to advantage the soil must be in 

 good condition and thoroughly pulverized — no clods 

 or lumps being left to mar the straightness of your 

 rows, or interfere with the sowing of the seed. 



Supposing that you devote an acre to roots, it will 

 pay well to get a seed drilL The saving of time, seed. 



and exactness in planting, together with increased 

 i'acility for after cultivation, will nuich more than 

 balance the outlay. 



Soak your beet or wurtzel seed in lukewarm water 

 for forty-eight hours, and sow in drills sixteen inches 

 apart on freshly tilled land. When up and i'airly 

 growing, thin to from four to six inches apart. Most 

 who commence the study of roots, err in not giving 

 them s})acc to grow. Keep clear of weeds, which can 

 mostly be done with the hoe. Soon as their broad 

 leaves have fairly developed themselves, you need 

 bestow but little care upon them, save to stir the soil 

 in time of drouth. 



Potatoes, once our surest crop, now in many sec- 

 tions are a very uncertain one. Those have had the 

 best crops generally within the last few years, who 

 have planted on a light, loamy soil, not highly man- 

 ured. When the rot became so prevalent and de- 

 structive a few years past, the editor of this paper 

 surmised among other speculations that the disease 

 in question might be owing to an exhaustion of the 

 elements of the plant and tuber in the soil. Several 

 experiments during the past year in different parts of 

 the country, have satisfactorily shown that planted in 

 moderately fertile ground, and as soon as above the 

 ground, well dusted with a handful of ashes and plas- 

 ter to each hill, and the same application repeated 

 when about to flower, there will be but httle of the 

 rot. 



It is an unsettled question, whether large or small 

 seed potatoes will give a greater return. We would 

 be much obliged to our friends who feel interested in 

 this matter, if they would try experiments, and report 

 the result when the crop is gathered. 



You will find that to plant your corn in drills from 

 three and a half to four feet apart, the stalks from 

 six to nine inches apart in the rows, and to thoroughly 

 work the ground with the cultivator, without hilling, 

 or at least' but very slightly, will give jou equally as 

 large a return as if you had carefully hilled your corn, 

 thereby throwing the moisture away from the plants. 



Have you provided good rakes and implements 

 wherewith to facilitate the securing of your hay and 

 grain crops ? Pitching hay on to a high mow is hard 

 work and warm work too in a hot day, and it requires 

 but a slight expenditure of time and means to pro- 

 vide fixed and movable pulleys, with a ro})e and suit- 

 able fork, by which your load can be lifted and 

 deposited on your mow, by a horse or your team, with 

 no expenditure of manual labor. To make farming 

 attracti\'e, study to introduce machinery as far as 

 practicable, for human help is the dearest of all. 



Peas for fattening your hogs may be sown at any 

 time before the middle of the month. They are an 

 excellent preparation for wheat, and leave the ground 

 in a very friable condition. If you have not yet 

 plastered your clover, do not fail of doing so ; also 

 your peas and corn. 



It will pay M-ell to have your boys thoroughly weed 

 your grain fields by hand ; " one year's seeding makes 

 seven years weeding," and clean fields should be your 

 pride. If you have a spot of Canada thistles or dock 

 on your premises, give them no peace or rest from 

 your plow as often as they show themselves above the- 

 ground. A thorough fallowing of weedy ground^ 

 followed by hoed crops the ensuing season, will almost 



