7oL. XVI., Second Series. 



ROCHESTER, N. T., MAY, 1855. 



No. 5. 



THE GENESEE FARMER, 



A MONTHLY JOUI^XAL OF 



AGRICULTUR E & HOR TICULTURE. 

 Volume XVI, Second Series, 1855 



DANIEL. I.BE3 AND W. D. AL.LIS, EDITORS. 



JOSEPH FROST, HORTICULTURAL EDITOR. 



;ACH NUSIBKR CONTAINS 32 ROYAL OCTAVO PAGES, IN 



DOUBLE COLUMS.S AND TTTELVK NUMBERS FORM 



A VOLUME OF 334 PAGES IN A YEAR. 



Terms. 



ngle Copy, S0.60 



ive Copies, - 2.00 



ight Copies, 3.00 



And at the same rate for any larger number. 



DANIEIi liEE, 

 Publisher and Proprietor, Rt>cheiUr, N. T. 



DBTEEEANEAN APPLICATION OF LIQUID MANUEE. 



A Mr. Wilkins has patented in England an inge- 

 ous plan for applying liquid manure directly to the 

 jttom of the roots of plants, in the subsoil, instead 



'' " using it upon the surface of the ground in the 

 ;ual way. There is but one serious objection to it, 

 id that is its expensiveness, which is likely to pre- 

 :nt its general adoption. The liquid manure is 

 •nveyed under the surface soil and gromng crops in 

 bes, not unlike draining tile, allowing a line of pipes 



jl each row of turnips, corn, potatoes, or other agri- 

 Itural plant. To avoid the loss of manure by its 

 Sltration into the subsoil and deep earth, the whole 

 ea operated upon has the surface soil removed to 

 e depth of twenty or more inches, and the denuded 

 rface is covered with water-lime, cement, or jiouuded 

 ly, to render it impervious to water, when the sur- 

 3e soil is restored to its former place. In all cases 

 lere the subsoil is naturally retentive, it would ap- 

 ar to be a needless expense to pave or cement it 

 prevent the loss of manure, however liljerally it 

 ly be used ; but on all pervious land, something 

 auld be done to avoid the washing away of the 

 uid food of agricultural plants, where one manures 



Mr. "WiLKiNS has pipes leading from liquid manure 

 tanks that convey the fertilizer to the underground 

 conduits through which it is brought into contact 

 with the rootlets of every plant under cultivation. 

 The manure rises up to the surface of the tilled soil 

 by capillary attraction. Care, of course, is taken not 

 to have the Uquid so strong as to injure any crop, 

 and not to give the soil, which in truth lies in a tight 

 basin, too much water for the healthy growth of 

 plants. Mr. W. selected last season a piece of ground 

 100 feet square, which he had prepared on his pa- 

 tent principle, and by the side of it he had 100 

 feet square of the same kind of soil, which was treat- 

 ed on the old system. Both pieces were planted and 

 sown alike, and he had advertised the day when the 

 roots on both would be taken up, and invited the 

 public to come and see and judge for themselves. 

 The results were, as reported in the London Agricul- 

 tural Gazette, that on the prepared land the mangel 

 wurtzel grown was at the rate of 69 tons 2 quarters 

 and 22 pounds to the acre; the Indian corn grown 

 on it ripened and came to perfection, but not on the 

 unprepared piece ; the potatoes were taken up in 

 eleven weeks, and when weighed in the presence of 

 several gentlemen, wore found to be more than double 

 the weight of those grown on the unprepared land; 

 the winter brockoli was taken up and eaten before 

 winter came; and one of the cabbages weighed 16 

 pounds, although its stem remained in the ground, 

 and had at the time of examination 1.5 young cab- 

 bages upon it. Mr. Wilkins exhibited some lucerne, 

 which he said was the third cut, and contrasted it 

 with the first of some grown on the old system. Re- 

 markably fine specimens of flax and hemp were ex- 

 hibited, grown by this new process. Only four inches 

 of liquid was allowed to stand at any time at the 

 bottom ; and the soil above must be from twelve to 

 eighteen inches. " "" "" 



