Vol. XVI., Second Series. 



EOCHESTEE, N. Y., APEIL, 1865. 



No. 4. 



THE GENESEE FARMER, 



A MONTHLY JOCRXAL OF 



AQBICULTURE & HORTIGULTUEE, 



Volume XVI, Second Series, 1855 

 DANIKL lee: and W. D. AL.LIS, EDITORS. 



JOSEPH FROST, HORTICULTURAL EDITOR. 



EACH NUMBER CONTAINS 32 ROYAL OCTAVO PAGES, IN 



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Terms. 



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 Publisher and Proprieti/r, Rochester, N. T. 



ECONOMY OF FAKIUHG. 



Wn.iT system of husljaudry will bring the greatest 

 profit ia any given situation, can only be determined 

 jy a close survey of the nature and capabilities of 

 he soil and climate, the capital of the farmer, and 

 he condition of the markets within his reach. On 

 ome farms it is wise often to summer-fallow, in order 

 subdue or eradicate pestiferous weeds, and develop 

 he latent elements of fertility which the earth may 

 josscss. In all operations pertaining to rocks and 

 :arths, time is an important element If the vital 

 irinciple in the germ of an acorn required its growth 

 ml full maturity in a single year, there is no land in 

 lie world rich enough to yield the soluble potash and 

 ther minerals found in the ash of a large oak tree ; 

 lut slowly extending its absorption of the elements 

 f vegetable nutrition from the soil, through several 

 enturies, nature has time sufficient, and none to 

 pare, to feed this giant of the forest, and make it all 

 hat we see it in the pride of its strength and age. 



To produce large crops of annual plants, the land 

 lust be either rich by nature, or made so by the 

 usbandman. lie evinces his greatest skiU in the 

 conomy with which he remedies defects In his arable 

 elds, meadows, and pastures ; and he is a wise culti- 



vator if he understands all the secret and open sources 

 of fruitfulness, and all the causes of barrenness in the 

 soil under his control. This knowledge he needs to 

 employ his labor and money to the best advantage. 

 True economy in farming is true wisdom, and the fruit 

 of much well-directed observation and study. In 

 this way one learns what system of rotation of crops 

 best suits his farm and circumstances, and what plants 

 and animals yield him the highest profit. Leaving, 

 as we do, all specialities to the good sense and expe- 

 rience of each reader, who alone can rightly under- 

 stand his local advantages and disadvantages, wc may 

 yet render liiur some service by explaining the prm- 

 ciples of scientific husbandry aud tillage. 



By the analysis of soils, and their vegetable and 

 animal products, in connection with practical farming, 

 the principle has been established that one may grow 

 any crop indefinitely on the same surface by clean 

 culture and judicious manuring. Prof. Burger says 

 that he knows a butcher who has raised the richest 

 crops of barley twenty years in succession on the 

 same field by manuring it with sheep-dung ; but he 

 questions the practicability of growing winter wheat 

 in the same way. His remarks on this head are as 

 follows : " Winter wheat we cannot sow after winter 

 wheat in Northern Europe, for many reasons: because 

 the period of time from the harvest in August, till 

 the sowing-time at the end of September, is too short, 

 and usually too moist to clear and pulverize the 

 clayey soil by repeated plowing ; because the soil by 

 too frequent plowiugs following one another too rap- 

 idly causes too much work in a short time ; because 

 a soil may easily become too loose, whereby the 

 plants are winter-killed ; and because the crude sta- 

 ble manure and late seeding occasion must and 

 bhght. But in the South of Europe, one may sow 

 winter wheat with good success many years in suc- 

 cession in the same field." 



